Yuendumu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yuendumu Northern Territory
Yuendumu Location in Northern Territory
Population	759 (2016 census)
• Density	108/km2 (280/sq mi)
Established	1946 (Yendumu Aboriginal Reserve) 4 April 2007 (locality)
Postcode(s)	0872
Elevation	667 m (2,188 ft)(weather station)
Area	7 km2 (2.7 sq mi)
Time zone	ACST (UTC+9:30)
Location	1,093 km (679 mi) S of Darwin 293 km (182 mi) from Alice Springs
LGA(s)	Central Desert Region
Territory electorate(s)	Gwoja
Federal Division(s)	Lingiari
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 30.3 °C 87 °F 15.4 °C 60 °F 365.2 mm 14.4 in
Localities around Yuendumu: Chilla Well Chilla Well Chilla Well Chilla Well Yuendumu Chilla Well Chilla Well Chilla Well Chilla Well
Footnotes	Locations Adjoining locality

Yuendumu is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is about 293 kilometers (182 miles) northwest of Alice Springs. You can find it along the Tanami Road, in the Central Desert Region. Yuendumu is one of the biggest remote communities in central Australia. It is well-known for its amazing Aboriginal artists. The town is also home to Pintubi Anmatjere Warlpiri (PAW) Media, which created the popular TV show Bush Mechanics.

A Look at Yuendumu's Past

Yuendumu was started in 1946 by the Australian Government. It was set up to provide food and help to local Aboriginal people. The first person in charge was Francis McGarry. In 1947, a church group called the Australian Baptist Home Mission also began working there. By 1955, many Aboriginal people had made Yuendumu their home.

Where is Yuendumu?

Yuendumu is located on the edge of the Tanami Desert. It is northwest of Alice Springs, on the traditional land of the Anmatyerr people. The area includes many smaller communities called outstations. It also borders large farming properties like Mount Doreen and Mount Allan.

It takes about three hours to drive from Alice Springs to Yuendumu. Most of the road is sealed. Yuendumu is part of the Central Desert Region council area.

The community is mostly made up of the Warlpiri and Anmatyerr Aboriginal people. In 2016, about 759 people lived there.

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Amazing Art from Yuendumu

Yuendumu is famous for its unique art.

The Yuendumu Doors

In 1982, five Warlpiri elders started a special art project. They painted 30 doors at the Yuendumu primary school. They used bright, bold colors, like in "fauve art." This project became known as the Yuendumu Doors.

Their paintings showed 36 ancient designs called kuruwarri. These designs helped teach the children their people's Jukurrpa (often called Dreamtime stories). This project showed how important these elders were as teachers for the young people. The five men who painted the doors were: Paddy Jupurrurla Nelson, Roy Jupurrurla Curtis, Paddy Japaljarri Stewart, Paddy Japaljarri Sims, and Larry Jungarrayi Spencer.

Painting these doors was a big moment. It helped start the whole Warlpiri art movement. It also became a strong symbol of elders caring for children. It showed how they helped with "two-way education," which means learning both traditional ways and modern school subjects.

In the mid-1990s, the doors were moved to the South Australian Museum. They are still kept there today (2021). In 2021, the South Australian Museum, along with other groups, created an exhibition of posters of the doors. These posters are being shown in Australian embassies around the world.

Warlukurlangu Artists

An expert named Françoise Dussart encouraged the women of Yuendumu to create and sell art. After some time, the men gave the women permission to use dots in their acrylic paintings.

In 1985, the Warlukurlangu Artists Association was started in Yuendumu. Some of the door painters, like Stewart and Sims, were involved. Many other senior men and women also helped. This group is now called Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation.

Many other famous artists have painted with Warlukurlangu. These include Kumanjayi Nelson Napaljarri and Judy Watson Napangardi.

Aboriginal artist Kumanjayi Napaljarri Kennedy was a respected woman in Yuendumu. She was part of the community council. In 1994, she was given an award called the Member of the Order of Australia for her work in the community. Artist Maggie Napaljarri Ross also received the Order of Australia for helping to set up the Yuendumu Night Patrol, which helps keep the community safe.

The art center creates over 10,000 paintings each year and sells just as many. In 2022, more than A$250,000 worth of art from Warlukurlangu Artists was sold at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair.

Media and TV Shows

For over 25 years, Yuendumu has been home to Pintubi Anmatjere Warlpiri (PAW) Media. This group used to be called Warlpiri Media Association. They are most famous for making the TV show Bush Mechanics. They also produced Aboriginal Rules, which looked at how important Australian rules football is in remote communities.

The 2001 TV series Bush Mechanics was filmed in and around Yuendumu. An exhibition and a book were created in 2018/2019 to celebrate this popular show.

Community Life, Sports, and Events

Yuendumu has many services and facilities for its residents. These include three community stores, a school, an airstrip, and a swimming pool. There is also the Warlukurlangu art center and the PAW Media organization. The town has a church, a program for elderly people, and a women's center. Yuendumu stays connected with other nearby communities like Yuelamu and Papunya.

Yuendumu is home to the Yuendumu Magpies football team. They play in the Central Australian Football League (CAFL). The Magpies won the first season of the new Alice Springs competition in 2008.

Yuendumu holds its yearly sports weekend in the first week of August. Teams from other communities come to compete in football, basketball, and softball. There is also a "Battle of the Bands" night where local music groups perform.

Well-Known People from Yuendumu

Several leaders from Yuendumu received the Centenary Medal in 2001. This award celebrates 100 years of Australia as a nation. It recognizes people who have helped Australian society or government. Wendy Nungarrayi Brown and Rex Granites were among those honored.

Yuendumu is the home community of Bess Nungarrayi Price. She is an Indigenous activist and used to be a minister in the Northern Territory Government. Her daughter, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, is also closely connected to the community because it is her mother's country.

Artist Pauline Nakamarra Woods grew up in Yuendumu. Artist Kumantje Jagamara went to the mission school in Yuendumu. Artist Alma Nungarrayi Granites also lived in Yuendumu.

Nurse Ellen Kettle was the first full-time nurse in Yuendumu from 1952 to 1954. She later helped create new health services across the Northern Territory.

Local Yuendumu footballer Liam Jurrah was chosen to play in the Australian Football League. He became a star player for the Melbourne Football Club.

Yuendumu in Books and Games

The town of Yuendumu is mentioned in the 1987 Midnight Oil song "Beds are Burning". The song says: Four wheels scare the cockatoos/From Kintore east to Yuendumu. A book called Strict Rules: The BlackfellaWhitefella Tour by Andrew McMillan tells the story of Midnight Oil and Warumpi Band's 1986 music tour to Yuendumu.

In the 2005 PlayStation 2 video game Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, a part of the game takes place in a made-up Yuendumu. This game version of Yuendumu is a mining and digging site in the Australian outback. In the game, Uluru is shown surrounding this fictional Yuendumu.

Yuendumu's Climate

See also

In Spanish: Yuendumu para niños