Warri and Yatungka facts for kids

Warri (born around 1909, died 1979) and Yatungka (born around 1919, died 1979) were an Aboriginal couple from the Mandildjara tribe. This tribe is part of the Martu people who live in the Gibson Desert in Western Australia. Warri and Yatungka spent about 40 years living by themselves, moving around the Australian desert.

Their Amazing Story

Warri and Yatungka met and fell in love in the 1930s. Their relationship was not allowed by the traditional rules of their tribe. Because of this, they decided to leave their community and live on their own. They spent about 40 years living a nomadic life in the vast Gibson Desert. This means they moved from place to place, following food and water, without a permanent home.

Searching for the Couple

For a long time, Warri and Yatungka's tribe tried to find them, but they couldn't. The couple had moved into the land of a different tribe, the Budijara people. So, they were left to live freely in the desert.

Many years later, in 1976, some respected Aboriginal elders from a town called Wiluna asked an Australian explorer named Stan Gratte for help. They wanted him to lead a trip to find Warri and Yatungka. Stan Gratte, along with a tribal elder named Mudjon, started the search. They successfully found the couple and brought them to Wiluna. Sadly, Warri and Yatungka both passed away two years later, in 1979.

The Last Nomads?

At the time, many people thought Warri and Yatungka were the very last people living a traditional nomadic life in the Australian desert. However, this wasn't quite true. Several other Aboriginal people later came out of the desert who had also been living nomadically. The last known group was the Pintupi Nine, who first met people from the wider world in 1984.

Their Lasting Legacy

Warri and Yatungka's story touched many hearts. News reporters often called them "star-crossed lovers" because their story reminded people of the famous play Romeo and Juliet.

Books and Documentaries

A book called The Last of the Nomads was published in 1990 by a writer named W.J. Peasley. This non-fiction book became very popular around the world. It tells the story of Warri and Yatungka's lives.

In 1997, Matthew Kelley made a documentary film also called The Last of the Nomads. This film was inspired by Peasley's book and showed the journey Peasley took to find Warri and Yatungka. The documentary was even nominated for an award, the 1997 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Television Documentary.

Music and Monuments

The story of Warri and Yatungka also inspired music. In 2002, a composer named Paul Jarman wrote a song titled "Warri and Yatungka." He created this piece to celebrate the year of the outback, which is a term for the remote, dry parts of Australia.

In 2007, a monument was built in Wiluna to remember Warri and Yatungka. The monument also used the phrase "Last of the Nomads" to honor their unique lives and their connection to the desert.