History
Freehold title leases were granted by the Federal Government around 1910 to establish cattle stations on Alyawarr land in an attempt to bring white settlers and development to the centre of Australia. The land’s traditional owners were coerced to move from culturally significant sites and lost rights to hunting grounds to make way for grazing cattle.
The resultant Ammaroo Station became a gathering place for the Alywarr people by the sixties and seventies where many worked as drovers and fencers. In 1976 under the Native Titles Act, Alywarr families were granted a small plot at an area known then as Honeymoon Bore, about 10 km from Ammaroo Station. This small settlement is what has now developed in to the community of Ampilatwatja.
In the 1990’s the Traditional Owners of the area gained small excisions from the local pastoral lease to continue their life on their land. Ampilatwatja is the cultural heartland of the Alywarr nation. There are three outstations with the main ones being Irrultja, 60 km away, and Atnwengerrp, 40 km away.
With few exceptions, all the Aboriginal
people living at Ampilatwatja belong to the Alywarr language group. Their country extends over some 17,000 km2 and through the pastoral properties of Ammaroo, Murray Downs, Elkedra, Derry Downs, Utopia, Lake Nash and Urandangie. Alywarr is further divided into a number of smaller units called “countries”. The Amperiatwatye people are from Aherrenge country which spans three cattle stations, Ammaroo, Derry
Downs and Elkedra.
There are approximately 500 residents. There is a General Store that provides basic groceries and provides territory bush orders, but no takeaway food available.
The Ampilatwatja Bombers AFL side play on the local ground, Windy Hill, and travel extensively through the region during the AFL season.Leia mais