Pukatja (Pukatja)
Pukatja (formerly Ernabella, ) is an Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on "The Lands" (the others being Amata, Pipalyatjara, Fregon/Kaltjiti, Indulkana and Mimili).
Established as a Presbyterian mission in 1937 with enlightened practices which maintained the Pitjantjatjara language at the school and church services, Ernabella was handed over to the community in 1974 and was later named Pukatja. Ernabella Arts is Australia's oldest continuously running Indigenous art centre.
Pukatja is in the eastern Musgrave Ranges, west of the Stuart Highway, about 30 km south of the Northern Territory border, about 330 km south-west of Alice Springs and 25 km north of Umuwa, the major administrative centre within the APY Lands. It is about 1400 km by road from Adelaide.
The community sits at an elevation of about 703 metres.
The area is prone to earthquakes, one of few areas of Australia to have experienced multiple large earthquakes in recorded history. In 2012 and 2013, the town experienced a 5.7 magnitude earthquake, classified as "moderate" on the Richter scale and the country's two largest earthquakes in those years.
Established as a Presbyterian mission in 1937 with enlightened practices which maintained the Pitjantjatjara language at the school and church services, Ernabella was handed over to the community in 1974 and was later named Pukatja. Ernabella Arts is Australia's oldest continuously running Indigenous art centre.
Pukatja is in the eastern Musgrave Ranges, west of the Stuart Highway, about 30 km south of the Northern Territory border, about 330 km south-west of Alice Springs and 25 km north of Umuwa, the major administrative centre within the APY Lands. It is about 1400 km by road from Adelaide.
The community sits at an elevation of about 703 metres.
The area is prone to earthquakes, one of few areas of Australia to have experienced multiple large earthquakes in recorded history. In 2012 and 2013, the town experienced a 5.7 magnitude earthquake, classified as "moderate" on the Richter scale and the country's two largest earthquakes in those years.
Map - Pukatja (Pukatja)
Map
Country - Australia
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The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately 65,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Arriving by sea, they settled the continent and had formed approximately 250 distinct language groups by the time of European settlement, maintaining some of the longest known continuing artistic and religious traditions in the world. Australia's written history commenced with the European maritime exploration of Australia. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon was the first known European to reach Australia, in 1606. In 1770, the British explorer James Cook mapped and claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney in 1788 to establish the penal colony of New South Wales. The European population grew in subsequent decades, and by the end of the 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and an additional five self-governing British colonies established. Democratic parliaments were gradually established through the 19th century, culminating with a vote for the federation of the six colonies and foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and wealthy market economy.
Currency / Language
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AUD | Australian dollar | $ | 2 |
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EN | English language |