Northern Territory Town Profiles

Transcription

1 Wurrumiyanga

2 Northern Territory Town Profiles Our thanks to Paul Kelly, Gangajang, The Hoodoo Gurus, The Warumpi Band and The Castle for the inspiration for Alongside s chapter headings. Thank you to the rangers, community members, shires, NTPFES employees and their families who shared their experiences and expertise with Alongside in the creation of these profiles. Copyright 2017 Alongside All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of authors. To obtain permission contact: Paige Hobbs paige@alongside.org.au Phone: Level 16 The Charles Darwin Centre, 19 Smith St, Darwin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following book may contain images of deceased persons. hello@alongside.org.au Design by One Idea

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5 Moving to a new location can be stressful and overwhelming for several reasons, not least because you may be moving to a remote community, or a town you have never been to before. Partners and families of Northern Territory Police are often required to move around the Territory to support a loved one in the job and while Alongside cannot make some of those changes go away, we can help reduce some of the unknowns for you. We understand that moving somewhere new can be daunting. It is our job to offset those feelings the best we can by providing you with as much information possible on the community you are about to call home. The Alongside town profiles are here to help. Designed to provide Northern Territory Police, their partners and families an overview of each location in the Northern Territory, the Alongside town profiles detail everything from the nuts-and-bolts essentials to suggestions of great things to do on the weekend, how to assimilate into local cultures and the general vibe of a place. From all of us at Alongside, welcome to Wurrumiyanga! Wurrumiyanga

6 FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROW Town Overview Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island is the largest community on the Tiwi Islands with an approximately population of 2,000 people. Wurrumiyanga is on the south-eastern tip of Bathurst Island, on the Apsley Strait. The community was previously known as Nguiu. The island is picturesque with white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue seas. The community is divided into four suburbs, Forestry, Enrail, Jubilee Park and Coconut Grove. Wurrumiyanga is in the Nguiu Ward of the Tiwi Islands council. Northern Territory Town Profiles

7 Heritage Bathurst Island was first sighted by Europeans in 1644 when Abel Tasman passed by on his way from Batavia. In 1818 Phillip Parker King, the son of NSW Governor Philip Gidley King, explored the island and named it after Lord Bathurst. German missionary, Bishop Francis Xavier Gsell was in 1906, the Apostolic Administrator of the Northern Territory and persuaded the South Australian Government to give him 4,000 hectares of land on Bathurst Island to build a mission in He gradually earned the Islanders trust, particularly through improved health care. The influences on Bathurst Island s development took a new turn with the arrival of Gsell s mission. In World War Two, the mission sighted the Japanese bombers on their way to bomb Darwin on 19 February 1942, but the warning was dismissed as a mistaken sighting of allied aircraft. In 1978, the ownership of Bathurst Island was formerly handed back to the Tiwi people and today the Island is run by the Tiwi Land Council. Wurrumiyanga

8 Indigenous communities The Traditional Custodians of Wurrumiyanga are the Tiwi People who have occupied the area for over 40,000 years. The Tiwi people have their own unique culture and language, however English is spoken as a second language by most people on the islands. The land is held in an Aboriginal Land Trust administered by the Tiwi Land Council. Four Mile and Ranku are outstations where there are several families residing. DREAMTIME STORIES As in all Aboriginal cultures, there existed an intimate link between art and ceremony in traditional Tiwi society. But Tiwi ritual life does not focus on specific totems, designated Dreaming sites, or secret closed rituals such as mainland initiation. Instead, Tiwi rites of passage are concentrated in a series of public ceremonies that ensure the lifting and clearance of complex pukamani taboos associated with death and mourning. The Tiwi islands of Bathurst and Melville were created at the beginning of time during the Dreaming or Palaneri. Before this time there was only darkness and the earth was flat. Northern Territory Town Profiles

9 The story of Mudungkala An old blind woman arose from the ground at Murupianga in the South East of Melville Island. Clasping her three infants to her breast and crawling on her knees she traveled slowly north. The fresh water that bubbled up in the track she made became the tideways or the Clarence and Dundas Straits, dividing the two islands from the mainland. She made her way slowly around the land mass and then, deciding it was too large, created the Apsley Strait dividing the Islands. She then decreed that the bare islands be covered with vegetation and inhabited with animals so that her three children left behind would have food. Nobody knows where she came from. Having completed her work, Mudungkala vanished. Maryanne Mungatopi, PALANERI -THE CREATION PERIOD, 1998 Wurrumiyanga

10 WITH DIFFERENT LIVES, IN DIFFERENT PLACES Climate Wurrumiyanga has a tropical climate. The Tiwi describe three distinct seasons, the dry season, the build-up and the wet season. The seasons frame the lifestyle of the Tiwi people, dictating the food sources available and their ceremonial activities. Dry season from April to August, is known to locals as the Season of Smoke, or kumurrupunari. As the rain slows and the vegetation dries, it is deliberately lit, creating the period of Kumunupinari, season of the smoke. By burning the undergrowth, the Tiwi are clearing the way for hunting and assisting in the regeneration of the bush. Towards the end of the dry season, immense storm clouds start to build, with displays of thunder and lightning. During this time humidity levels rise dramatically, whilst virtually no rain falls. Tjamutakari or rainy season, begins around Christmas time when the storms finally break. During the peak of the wet, 2,500mm of rain fails causing lush tropical growth throughout the islands. Cyclones are a regular event on the Tiwi Islands. Northern Territory Town Profiles

11 ALL THE ESSENTIALS Wurrumiyanga is an Alcohol Restricted Zone under the Liquor Act, alcohol cannot be brought into the community. Restrictions apply on take away alcohol and a permit is required. Check with local police on arrival for more information. There are two licenced premises where alcohol can be purchased, but a permit is required. A permit is not required to visit Wurrumiyanga, however if you venture to any neighbouring communities or outstations, be sure to contact the Tiwi Land Council for your permit as the Tiwi Islands are privately owned land. There are two community owned stores in Wurrumiyanga, both stock a wide variety of food and general items. Piliyamanyirra Supermarket supplies a wide range of groceries, meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. As well as electrical appliances, white goods, clothing and some hardware items. It is open Monday through Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday morning. Nguiu Ullintjini Association (NUA) Supermarket supplies a wide range of groceries, whitegoods and clothing. They also sell a range of takeaway food and assorted bakery items. Melville Island also has a supermarket, the Milikapiti Store which is typically open 9am to 4pm, seven days per week. Wurrumiyanga

12 Online orders can be placed with Woolworths or Coles and delivered to the community via barge. An account will need to be set up with Sea Swift for deliveries. Opal and diesel fuels are available at Wurrumiyanga, Pirlangimpi, Milikapiti and Ranku. In Wurrumiyanga, Nguiu Ullintjinni Association Incorporated sells fuel. Wurrumiyanga has a basic Australia Post outlet. Pillyamanyirra Supermarket complex has Traditional Credit Union banking facilities, as well as ATM and EFTPOS facilities available at most stores in all communities on the Island. For a bite to eat, drop into either the Wurrumiyanga or Nguiu Clubs. Both clubs are only open four nights per week with provision for food and drinks. No take away is allowed and photo ID is required. Alternatively, there is Tai s Asian Food, which also has a laundromat and games parlour. Tiwi Enterprises manages several accommodation complexes on behalf of the Mantiyupwi Family Trust. There is a brand new complex with six self-contained rooms and a recently refurbished 12 room complex with shared facilities. Northern Territory Town Profiles

13 The Community Health Centre, known as Julinamawu, provides primary health care services to the residents of Wurrimiyanga. The clinic is staffed around the clock to provide emergency response health care to the community. Specialists visit the community on a semi regular basis. Emergency evacuations can be made to Darwin via the Aerial Medical Service. There is no pharmacy available within Wurrumiyanga, however the clinic will dispense medication as required. Plugging into the outside world can be done via the Telstra, or a Telstra compliant, network only in the communities of Wurrumiyanga, Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti. Public phones are also located in these three communities. A satellite phone will be required for coverage outside of the communities. There is no public internet access. Satellite dish receivers provide a television service to the Island, broadcasting ABC, Imparja and 7 Central. ABC Radio National (98.8FM) is also transmitted to the area. Local news and information is provided through Broadcasting for Remote Area Communities Service (BRACS) in Nguiu, Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti. The Tiwi Land Council publish Tiwi Times a bi-monthly newsletter. Wurrumiyanga

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15 Murrupurtiyanuwu Catholic Primary School (MCPS) is from preschool to Year 6 and is managed by a Tiwi Leadership team. Xavier Catholic College (XCCW) caters for years 7 up to year 13. MCPS and and XCCW together from the Catholic Education Precinct and provide quality Catholic Tiwi education for students from preschool to Year 13. Year 13 is a flexible course of study for students of any age to complete credits towards the NTCET. The educational curriculum is structured to meet the needs of Indigenous students though Direct Teaching style rather than a style akin to mainstream schooling. The Tiwi Council provides flexible long day care at the Jirnani Child Care Centre as well as after school care and vacation care. The programs provide activities that nurture and strengthen child development through quality learning, environment and practice. The service initially began as a Crèche funded by the Federal Government. Shortly after a need was identified and in 2001 with assistance from Territory Health Services the Creche was able to expand operations to include after school and vacation care. Wurrumiyanga

16 IN CONVOYS OF SILENCE THE CATTLE GRAZE Sport There are good sporting facilities in and around the community including a swimming pool, sports and recreation hall and a football oval. The Tiwi people are famous for their love of sports, in particular, Australian Rules football. The Tiwi Football Grand Final is held in March and it is a fantastic community event. Australian Football was introduced in 1941 to the Tiwi Islands and now there are seven local teams with the highest participation rate in Australia. The Tiwi Islands Football Grand Final also attracts national coverage each year. Northern Territory Town Profiles

17 Recreation Wurrumiyanga has excellent camping, fishing and hunting options, just be sure to have applied for a fishing and/or hunting permit via Tiwi Land Council. The Patakijiyali Museum has a comprehensive collection of artefacts chronicling the Tiwi history and culture. The museum opened in 1993 and has continued to expand its collection ever since. Some of the new displays at the museum include the Tiwi Sportsperson Hall of Fame and the Early Nuns experiences at Wurrumiyanga. Recently the Second World War audio visual exhibit was completed along with the Radio Shed exhibit. Warankuwu outstation, located on the western side of Bathurst Island, was established in 1994 as a resource centre and a population centre for people with links to the central west of Bathurst Island. The drive out makes for a fantastic day trip, grab a bite to eat from the store and take in the mostly untouched parts of the Island. Wurrumiyanga

18 Northern Territory Town Profiles Bird Carvings are displayed at The Patakijiyali Museum. The carvings represent different birds from Tiwi mythology, which have various meanings. Certain birds tell the Tiwi people about approaching monsoonal rains whilst others warn of impending cyclones. Others, depending on the totem of the people, alert the Tiwi people that someone has died in a clan. There are others that represent ancestral beings who were, according to mythology, changed into birds. Carved birds are sometimes at the top of pukumani poles, which are placed at sacred burial sites.

19 Arts Tiwi Designs is a successful Indigenous art centre that has established a significant reputation within the Indigenous fine art market. Tiwi Designs is renowned for the diversity of artworks produced by its artists including ochre paintings, carvings, screenprinted fabrics and ceramics. This contemporary arts practice has a long history with its connections to Tiwi culture, body painting and ceremony through the emergence of fabric printing and ceramics that signalled beginning of Tiwi Design in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ngaruwanajirri Workshop and Gallery has on display traditional art and craft including carving, painting, lino block printing and batik on silk for sale. For something a bit different Bima Wear is a fabric printmaking and clothing business based at Wurrumiyanga. Twelve Tiwi women currently produce unique fabric prints and sewn garments in brilliant, bold designs. Fabrics feature traditional symbols, structures and family and environmental representations that are central to Tiwi culture. Other art practices such as painting, linocut, etching and design are utilised also. Wurrumiyanga

20 I M TOLD I M GOING PLACES There are approximately 250 kilometres of roads on Bathurst Island, not including numerous cultural, hunting and recreational tracks. Formed tracks provide good access west of Wurrumiyanga to Cape Fourcroy, Cape Helvetius and Port Hurd, and north to Wurankuwu community. Further north, flat bladed tracks provide access to Interview Point and Caution Point with only some sections gravelled. There is minimal all weather access to other parts of the Island. Four Mile and Ranku are outstations where there are several families residing. Both outstations are accessible by road and an airstrip is available at Ranku. Wurrumiyanga is easily accessed via the two hour SeaLink ferry from Darwin during dry season, or by passenger plane. There is a sealed airstrip, known as Bathurst Airport, two kilometres from Wurrumiyanga. Alternatively, there are two other airports at either Snake Bay Airport in Milikapiti and Garden Point Airport in Pirlangimpi. There are several daily flights between Darwin and Wurrumiyanga by Fly Tiwi or Kakadu Air. Car hire is available through Tiwi Enterprises, who have a range of vehicles available for hire from Wurrumiyanga. They can be arranged for pick up at the airstrip. Distances out of Wurrumiyanga; Bathurst Island Airport...2km Four Mile Outstation...5km Ranku Outstation...65km Warankuwu outstation...60km Darwin...30-minute flight Northern Territory Town Profiles

21 PLACES TO START The Tiwi Islands Regional Council website offers all the basic information you will need initially upon relocating, including details on all the communities in the region, services, events and news. Tiwi Designs website offers comprehensive information on not only the climate and history of the Tiwi Islands, but also the products available, news, tours and Tiwi traditions. The Northern Territory s Bushtel website has profiles on all communities in the Northern Territory. The profiles provide a quick snap-shot of information on each community. The Tiwi Enterprise website has information on the Tiwi Islands, including latest news, permits, accommodation options as well as links to other informative websites. Wurrumiyanga

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