Uluru and User talk:70.124.37.114: Difference between pages
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{{Geobox|Inselberg Monolith |
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<!-- *** Heading *** --> |
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| name = Uluru |
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| native_name = Uluru |
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| other_name = Ayers Rock |
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| category = |
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<!-- *** Names *** --> |
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| etymology = |
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<!-- *** Image *** --> |
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| image = Uluru Australia(1).jpg |
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| image_caption = Uluru at sunset |
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<!-- *** Country *** --> |
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| country = Australia | country_flag = 1 |
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| state = Northern Territory |
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| region = |
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| district = |
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| municipality = |
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<!-- *** Family *** --> |
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| range = |
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<!-- *** Locations *** --> |
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| location = |
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| elevation = 863 |
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| prominence = |
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| lat_d = 25 | lat_m = 20 | lat_s = 42 | lat_NS = S |
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| long_d = 131 | long_m = 02 | long_s = 10 | long_EW = E |
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| coordinates_type = type:landmark_region:AU |
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<!-- *** Features *** --> |
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| geology = arkose |
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| orogeny = [[Petermann Orogeny|Petermann]] |
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| period = |
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| biome = |
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| plant = |
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| animal = |
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<!-- *** Access *** --> |
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| public = |
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| access = |
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| ascent = | ascent_date = |
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<!-- *** UNESCO etc. *** --> |
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| whs_name = Uluṟu - Kata Tjuṯa National Park |
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| whs_year = 1987 |
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| whs_number = 447 |
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| whs_region = |
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| whs_criteria = v,vi,vii,ix |
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<!-- *** Free fields *** --> |
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| free = | free_type = |
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<!-- *** Maps *** --> |
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| map = Australia - outline map.svg |
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| map_caption = Location in Australia |
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| map_background = Topography of australia.jpg |
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| map_locator = Australia |
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<!-- *** Website *** --> |
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| website = [http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/ www.environment.gov.au/...] |
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<!-- *** Wikimedia Commons *** --> |
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| commons = Uluru |
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<!-- *** Footnotes *** --> |
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| footnotes = |
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}} |
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== October 2008 == |
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'''Uluru''', also referred to as '''Ayers Rock''', is a large [[sandstone]] rock formation in the southern part of the [[Northern Territory]], [[central Australia]]. It lies {{convert|335|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} south west of the nearest large town, [[Alice Springs, Northern Territory|Alice Springs]]; {{convert|450|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} by road. [[Kata Tjuta]] (The Olgas) and Uluru are the two major features of the [[Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park|Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park]]. Uluru is sacred to the [[Pitjantjatjara]] and [[Yankunytjatjara]], the [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal people]] of the area. It has many springs, [[waterhole]]s, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a [[World Heritage Site]]. |
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[[Image:Information.png|25px]] The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts?diff=244891152 recent edit]</span> you made to [[:Peanuts]] constitutes [[Wikipedia:Vandalism|vandalism]], and has been reverted. Please do not continue to vandalize pages; use the [[Wikipedia:Sandbox|sandbox]] for testing. Thank you. <!-- Template:uw-huggle2 --> [[User:J.delanoy|<font color="green">J'''.'''delanoy</font>]][[User Talk:J.delanoy|<sup><font color="red">gabs</font></sup>]][[Special:Contributions/J.delanoy|<font color="blue"><sub>adds</sub></font>]] 01:19, 13 October 2008 (UTC) |
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== Name == |
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The local Pitjantjatjara people call the landmark ''{{unicode|Uluṟu}}'' ({{IPA-all|uluɻu}}). This word has no particular meaning in their dialect, also known as [[Pitjantjatjara language|Pitjantjatjara]], but it is also used as a local family name by the senior Traditional Owners of Uluru.<ref name="Issacs1980">{{cite book |title=Australian Dreaming: 40,000 Years of Aboriginal History |publisher=Lansdowne Press |location=[[Sydney]] |first=Jennifer |last=Issacs |year=1980 |pages=pp. 40-41 |isbn=070181330X |oclc=6578832}}</ref> |
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On [[19 July]] [[1873]], the [[Surveying|surveyor]] [[William Gosse]] visited {{unicode|Uluṟu}} and named it Ayers Rock in honour of the then-[[Premiers of South Australia|Chief Secretary of South Australia]], [[Henry Ayers|Sir Henry Ayers]].<ref name="engovauhistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/culture-history/history/early-european-history.html |title={{unicode|Uluṟu - Kata Tjuṯa}} National Park - Early European history |work=Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources |accessdate=2008-10-07}}</ref> Since then, both names have been used, although Ayers Rock was the most common name used by outsiders until recently. |
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In 1993, a [[dual naming]] policy was adopted that allowed official names that consist of both the traditional Aboriginal name and the English name. On [[15 December]] [[1993]], it was renamed "Ayers Rock/Uluru" and became the first officially dual-named feature in the Northern Territory. The order of the dual names was officially reversed to "Uluru/Ayers Rock" on [[6 November]] [[2002]] following a request from the Regional Tourism Association in Alice Springs.<ref name="dualnaming">{{cite web |url=http://www.nt.gov.au/lands/lis/placenames/policy/dual.shtml |title=Dual Naming of Features |work=NT.gov.au |accessdate=2008-10-07}}</ref> |
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== Description == |
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[[Image:Uluru sunset1141.jpg|thumb|left|Uluru at sunset]] |
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Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural icons. The world-renowned sandstone formation stands {{convert|348|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} high ({{convert|863|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=/}} above sea level) with most of its bulk below the ground, and measures {{convert|9.4|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} in circumference. Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta have great cultural significance for the [[Anangu|{{unicode|Aṉangu}}]] Traditional landowners, who lead walking tours to inform visitors about the local flora and fauna, bush foods and the [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] [[dreamtime]] stories of the area. |
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Uluru is notable for [[color constancy|appearing]] to change [[color|colour]] as the different light strikes it at different times of the day and year, with sunset a particularly remarkable sight when it briefly glows red. Although rainfall is uncommon in this semiarid area, during wet periods the rock acquires a silvery-grey colour, with streaks of black algae forming on the areas that serve as channels for water flow. |
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Kata Tjuta, also called Mount Olga or ''The Olgas'' owing to its peculiar formation, is another rock formation about {{convert|25|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from Uluru. Special viewing areas with road access and parking have been constructed to give tourists the best views of both sites at dawn and dusk. |
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<div style="overflow:auto; background:transparent; margin:auto"> |
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[[Image:Uluru Panorama.jpg|center|650px|Uluru panorama nearing sunset]] |
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</div> |
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== Geology == |
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Uluru is an [[inselberg]], literally "island mountain", an isolated remnant left after the slow erosion of an original mountain range.<ref name="Young_etal_2002">Young, David N.; Duncan, N.; Camacho, A.; Ferenczi, P.A.; Madigan, T.L.A. (2002). Ayers Rock, Northern Territory, Map Sheet GS52-8 (second edition). 1:250 000 Geological Map Series Explanatory Notes, Northern Territory Geological Survey.</ref> Uluru is also often referred to as a [[monolith]], although this is a somewhat ambiguous term because of its multiple meanings, and thus a word generally avoided by [[geologist]]s. The remarkable feature of Uluru is its homogeneity and lack of [[Joint (geology)|jointing]] and parting at [[Bed (geology)|bedding]] surfaces, leading to the lack of development of [[scree]] slopes and soil. These characteristics led to its survival, while the surrounding rocks were eroded.<ref name="Sweet_1992">{{cite book |title=Uluru & Kata Tjuta: A Geological History |publisher=Australian Geological Survey Organization |format=Monograph |last=Sweet |first=I.P. |coauthors=and I.H. Crick |location=Canberra |origyear=1992|isbn=0-644-25681-8}}</ref> For the purpose of mapping and describing the geological history of the area, geologists refer to the rock [[Stratum|strata]] making up Uluru as the Mutitjulu Arkose, and it is one of many [[sedimentary rock|sedimentary formations]] filling the [[Amadeus Basin]].<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /> |
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=== Composition === |
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[[Image:TreesUpUluru.JPG|thumb|Uluru rock formations]] |
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Uluru is dominantly composed of coarse-grained [[arkose]], a type of sandstone characterized by an abundance of [[feldspar]], and some [[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]].<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /><ref name="engovaugeology">{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/nature-science/geology.html |title={{unicode|Uluṟu - Kata Tjuṯa}} National Park - Geology |work=Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources |accessdate=2007-04-03}}</ref> Average composition is 50% feldspar, 25–35% [[quartz]] and up to 25% rock fragments; most feldspar is [[Feldspar|K-feldspar]] with only minor [[plagioclase]] as [[Rounding (sediment)|subrounded]] grains and highly altered inclusions within K-feldspar.<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /> The grains are typically {{convert|2|-|4|mm}} in diameter, and are angular to subangular; the finer sandstone is [[Sorting (sediment)|well sorted]], with sorting decreasing with increasing [[Particle size|grain size]].<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /> The rock fragments include subrounded [[basalt]], invariably replaced to various degrees by [[chlorite]] and [[epidote]].<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /> The minerals present suggest derivation from a predominantly [[granite]] source, similar to the [[Musgrave Block]] exposed to the south.<ref name="Sweet_1992" /> When relatively fresh, the rock has a grey colour, but weathering of iron-bearing minerals by the process of [[redox|oxidation]] gives the outer surface layer of rock a red-brown rusty colour.<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /> Features related to deposition of the sediment include [[cross-bedding]] and [[Ripple marks|ripples]], analysis of which indicated deposition from broad shallow high energy [[fluvial]] channels and sheet flooding, typical of [[alluvial fan]]s.<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /><ref name="Sweet_1992" /> |
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=== Age and origin === |
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The Mutitjulu Arkose is believed to be of about the same age as the [[Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]] at Kata Tjuta, and to have a similar origin despite the rock type being different, but it is younger than the rocks exposed to the east at [[Mount Conner]],<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /> and unrelated to them. The strata at Uluru are nearly vertical, [[Strike and dip|dipping]] to the south west at 85°, and have an exposed thickness of at least {{convert|2400|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}}. The strata dip below the surrounding plain and no doubt extend well beyond Uluru in the subsurface, but the extent is not known. The rock was originally sand, deposited as part of an extensive [[alluvial fan]] that extended out from the ancestors of the [[Musgrave Ranges|Musgrave]], Mann and Petermann Ranges to the south and west, but separate from a nearby fan that deposited the sand, pebbles and cobbles that now make up Kata Tjuta.<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /><ref name="Sweet_1992" /> The similar mineral composition of the Mutitjulu Arkose and the granite ranges to the south is now explained. The ancestors of the ranges to the south were once much larger than the eroded remnants we see today. They were thrust up during a [[Orogeny|mountain building]] episode referred to as the [[Petermann Orogeny]] that took place in late [[Neoproterozoic]] to early [[Cambrian]] times (550-530 [[Annum|Ma]]), and thus the Mutitjulu Arkose is believed to have been deposited at about the same time. The arkose sandstone which makes up the formation is composed of grains that show little sorting based on grain size, exhibit very little rounding and the feldspars in the rock are relatively fresh in appearance. This lack of sorting and grain rounding is typical of arkosic sandstones and is indicative of relatively rapid erosion from the granites of the growing mountains to the south. The layers of sand were nearly horizontal when deposited, but were later tilted to their near vertical position during a later episode of mountain building, possibly the [[Alice Springs Orogeny]] of [[Paleozoic|Palaeozoic]] age (400-300 [[Annum|Ma]]).<ref name="Young_etal_2002" /> |
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== Fauna and flora == |
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[[Image:Black-footed Rock-wallaby(small).jpg|left|upright|thumb|Black-flanked Rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis).]] |
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Historically, 46 species of native [[mammal]]s are known to have been living in the Uluru region; according to recent surveys there are currently 21. {{unicode|Aṉangu}} acknowledge that a decrease in the number has implications for the condition and health of the landscape. Moves are supported for the reintroduction of locally extinct animals such as [[Malleefowl]], [[Common Brushtail Possum]], [[Rufous Hare-wallaby]] or Mala, [[Bilby]], [[Boodie|Burrowing Bettong]] and the [[Black-flanked Rock-wallaby]].<ref name="uktnppm">{{cite book |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/publications/uluru/pubs/management-plan.pdf |title={{unicode|Uluṟu - Kata Tjuṯa}} National Park Plan of Management |publisher=Environment Australia |location=Canberra |author={{unicode|Uluṟu - Kata Tjuṯa}} Board of Management |edition=4th edition |year=2000 |isbn=0642546738 |oclc=57667136}}</ref> |
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The [[Mulgara]], the only mammal listed as [[Vulnerable species|vulnerable]], is mostly restricted to the transitional sand plain area, a narrow band of country that stretches from the vicinity of Uluru to the Northern boundary of the park and into Ayers Rock Resort. This area also contains the [[marsupial mole]], [[Aspidites ramsayi|Woma Python]] and Great Desert [[Skink]]. |
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The [[bat]] population of the park comprises at least seven species that depend on day roosting sites within caves and crevices of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Most of the bats forage for aerial [[predation|prey]] within {{convert|100|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}} or so from the rock face. The park has a very rich [[reptile]] fauna of high conservation significance with 73 species having been reliably recorded. Four species of [[frog]] are [[Abundance (ecology)|abundant]] at the base of Uluru and Kata Tjuta following summer rains. The Great Desert Skink is listed as vulnerable. |
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{{unicode|Aṉangu}} continue to hunt and gather animal species in remote areas of the park and on angu land elsewhere. Hunting is largely confined to the [[Red Kangaroo]], [[Australian Bustard|Bush Turkey]], [[Emu]] and [[lizard]]s such as the Sand [[Goanna]] and [[Perentie]]. |
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Of the 27 mammal species found in the park, six are introduced: the [[House Mouse]], [[camel]], [[fox]], [[cat]], [[dog]] and [[rabbit]]. These species are distributed throughout the park but their densities are greatest in the rich water run-off areas of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. |
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[[Image:UluruBaseTrees.JPG|thumb|upright|Trees at the base of Uluru.]] |
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Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park [[flora]] represents a large portion of plants found in Central Australia. A number of these species are considered rare and restricted in the park or the immediate region. There are many rare and [[endemism|endemic]] plants at Uluru and Kata Tjuta. |
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The growth and reproduction of plant communities rely on irregular rainfall. Some plants are able to survive [[fire]] and some are dependent on it to reproduce. Plants are an important part of ''[[Dreaming (spirituality)|Tjukurpa]]'', and there are ceremonies for each of the major plant foods. Many plants are associated with [[ancestor|ancestral]] beings. |
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Flora in Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park can be broken into the following categories: |
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* Punu – trees |
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* Puti – shrubs |
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* Tjulpun-tjulpunpa – flowers |
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* Ukiri - grasses |
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Trees such as the [[Mulga]] and [[Corymbia opaca|Centralian Bloodwood]] are used to make tools such as spearheads, [[boomerang]]s and bowls. The red [[plant sap|sap]] of the bloodwood is used as a disinfectant and an inhalant for coughs and colds. |
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There are several rare and endangered species in the park. Most of them, like [[Ophioglossum|Adder's Tongue ferns]], are restricted to the moist areas at the base of the formation, which are areas of high visitor use and subject to erosion. |
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Since the first Europeans arrived, 34 exotic plant species have been recorded in the park, representing about 6.4% of the total park flora. Some, such as perennial buffel grass ([[Cenchrus|Cenchrus ciliaris]]), were introduced to rehabilitate areas damaged by erosion. It is the most threatening weed in the park and has spread to invade water- and nutrient-rich drainage lines. A few others, such as burrgrass, were brought in accidentally, carried on cars and people. |
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== Climate and seasons == |
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[[Image:Alice Springs4260.jpg|thumb|[[Bushfood|Bush tucker]] from the area of Alice Springs Desert Park.]] |
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The park receives an average rainfall of {{convert|307.7|mm|in|1|abbr=on|lk=on}} per year, and average temperatures are {{convert|37.8|°C|°F|1|abbr=on}} in the summer and {{convert|4.7|°C|°F|1|abbr=on}} in the winter. Temperature extremes in the park have been recorded at {{convert|45|°C|°F|0|abbr=on|lk=on}} during the summer and {{convert|-5|°C|°F|0|abbr=on}} during winter nights. [[Ultraviolet|UV]] levels are extreme most days, averaging between 11 and 15.<ref name="welcomeland">{{cite book |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/publications/uluru/pubs/visitor-guide.pdf |title=Welcome to Aboriginal land: {{unicode|Uluṟu - Kata Tjuṯa}} National Park - Visitor guide and maps |publisher=Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources |location=Canberra |isbn=0642537874 |month=October |year=2005 |accessdate=2007-04-03}}</ref> |
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Local Aboriginal people recognise five [[season]]s: |
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# Piriyakutu (August/September) - Animals breed and food plants flower |
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# Mai Wiyaringkupai (November/December) - The hot season when food becomes scarce |
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# Itjanu (January/February/March) - Sporadic storms can roll in suddenly |
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# Wanitjunkupai (April/May) - Cooler weather |
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# Wari (June/July) - Cold season bringing morning frosts |
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== Myths, Legends and Aboriginal traditions == |
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According to the Anangu traditional landowners of Uluru:<ref name="CWLTH">[http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/culture-history/culture/creation.html Commonwealth Department of Environment's Uluru webpage] Retrieved 15 April 2008.</ref> |
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<blockquote> |
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''"The world was once a featureless place. None of the places we know existed until creator beings, in the forms of people, plants and animals, traveled widely across the land. Then, in a process of creation and destruction, they formed the landscape as we know it today. Anangu land is still inhabited by the spirits of dozens of these ancestral creator beings which are referred to as Tjukuritja or Waparitja." |
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</blockquote> |
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There are a number of differing accounts given, by outsiders, of Aboriginal ancestral stories for the origins of Uluru and its many cracks and fissures. One such account, taken from Robert Layton's (1989) ''ULURU: An Aboriginal history of Ayers Rock'',<ref name="abhistuluru"/> reads as follows: |
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<blockquote> |
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''"Uluru (Ayers Rock) was built up during the creation period by two boys who played in the mud after rain. When they had finished their game they travelled south to Wiputa ..Fighting together, the two boys made their way to the table topped [[Mount Conner]], on top of which their bodies are preserved as boulders"'' (Page 5) |
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</blockquote> |
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Two other accounts are given in Norbert Brockman's (1997) ''Encyclopedia of Sacred Places''.<ref name="encycsacred">{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Sacred Places |first=Norbert C |last=Brockman |publisher=ABC-Clio Inc |location=[[Santa Barbara, California]] |month=June |year=1997 |pages=292-93 |isbn=0-19512-739-0}}</ref> The first tells of serpent beings who waged many wars around Uluru, scarring the rock. The second tells of two tribes of ancestral spirits who were invited to a feast, but were distracted by the beautiful Sleepy Lizard Women and did not show up. In response, the angry hosts sang evil into a mud sculpture that came to life as the dingo. There followed a great battle, which ended in the deaths of the leaders of both tribes. The earth itself rose up in grief at the bloodshed, becoming Uluru. |
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The Commonwealth Department of Environment's webpage advises:<ref name="CWLTH"/> |
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<blockquote> |
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''"Many .. Tjukurpa such as Kalaya (Emu), Liru (poisonous snake), Lungkata (blue tongue lizard), Luunpa (kingfisher) and Tjintir-tjintirpa ([[Willie Wagtail| willie wagtail]]) travel through [[Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park]]. Other Tjukurpa affect only one specific area. |
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</blockquote> |
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<blockquote> |
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''"Kuniya, the woma python, lived in the rocks at Uluru where she fought the Liru, the poisonous snake."'' |
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</blockquote> |
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It is sometimes reported that those who take rocks from the formation will be cursed and suffer misfortune. There have been many instances where people who removed such rocks attempted to mail them back to various agencies in an attempt to remove the perceived curse.<ref name="rocktheft">{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/07/1046826515667.html |title=Rock theft brings bad luck |work=The Age |date=2003-03-07 |accessdate=2007-04-03}}</ref><ref name="rocktheft2">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/strange-but-true/news/article.cfm?c_id=500835&objectid=10509543 |title=Uluru tourists return 'cursed' souvenirs |work=New Zealand Herald |first=Kathy |last=Marks |date=2008-05-12 |accessdate=2008-05-14}}</ref> |
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== History == |
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Archaeological findings to the east and west indicate that humans settled in the area more than 10,000 years ago.<ref name="abhistuluru">{{cite book |title=Uluru: An Aboriginal History of Ayers Rock |first=Robert |last=Layton |edition=2001 revised |publisher=Aboriginal Studies Press |location=Canberra |month=August |year=2001 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=vRBblyNmZxUC |isbn=0-85575-202-5}}</ref> [[Europe]]ans arrived in the Australian [[Western Desert cultural bloc|Western Desert]] in the 1870s. Uluru and Kata Tjuta were first mapped by Europeans in 1872 during the expeditionary period made possible by the construction of the [[Australian Overland Telegraph Line]]. In separate expeditions, [[Ernest Giles]] and [[William Gosse]] were the first European explorers to this area. |
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While exploring the area in 1872, Giles sighted Kata Tjuta from a location near [[Kings Canyon (Northern Territory)|Kings Canyon]] and called it Mount Olga, while the following year Gosse observed Uluru and named it Ayers Rock. Further explorations followed with the aim of establishing the possibilities of the area for [[pastoralism]]. In the late 1800s, pastoralists attempted to establish themselves in areas adjoining the South western/Petermann Reserve and interaction between {{unicode|Aṉangu}} and white people became more frequent and more violent. Due to the effects of grazing and drought, bush food stores became depleted. Competition for these resources created conflict between the two groups, resulting in more frequent police patrols. Later, during the depression in the 1930s, {{unicode|Aṉangu}} became involved in [[dingo]] scalping with 'doggers' who introduced {{unicode|Aṉangu}} to European foods and ways. |
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Between 1918 and 1921, large adjoining areas of [[South Australia]], [[Western Australia]] and [[Northern Territory]] were declared as Aboriginal reserves, sanctuaries for nomadic people who had virtually no contact with European settlers. In 1920, part of Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park was declared an Aboriginal Reserve (commonly known as the South-Western or Petermann Reserve) by the Australian government under the Aboriginals Ordinance. |
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[[Image:Uluru (Helicopter view).jpg|thumb|Helicopter photo of Uluru.]] |
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The first tourists arrived in the Uluru area in 1936. Beginning in the 1940s, permanent European settlement of the area for reasons of the Aboriginal welfare policy and to help promote tourism of Uluru. This increased tourism prompted the formation of the first vehicular tracks in 1948 and tour bus services began early in the following decade. In 1958, the area that would become the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park was excised from the Petermann Reserve; it was placed under the management of the Northern Territory Reserves Board and named the Ayers Rock - Mount Olga National Park. The first [[park ranger|ranger]] was Bill Harney, a well-recognised central Australian figure.<ref name="uktnppm" /> By 1959, the first motel leases had been granted and Eddie Connellan had constructed an airstrip close to the northern side of Uluru.<ref name="engovauhistory"/> |
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On March 5 1968, a three seat Bell 47 G2 helicopter piloted by Phil Latz <refname="Sydney"/> filming a telivision commercial planned for world wide distribution, crashed <refname="Latz"/> on Uluru, about a mile (1.6 km) east of the cairn. The wreck was lifted off on March 28 1968 by a Sikorsky S58 helicopter. |
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On [[26 October]] [[1985]], the Australian government returned ownership of Uluru to the local Pitjantjatjara Aborigines, with one of the conditions being that the {{unicode|Aṉangu}} would lease it back to the National Parks and Wildlife agency for 99 years and that it would be jointly managed. The Aboriginal community of [[Mutitjulu, Northern Territory|Mutitjulu]], population of approximately 300, is located near the western end of Uluru. From Uluru it is {{convert|17|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} by road to the tourist town of [[Yulara, Northern Territory|Yulara]], population 3,000, which is situated just outside of the national park. |
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== Tourism == |
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[[Image:Lasseter Highway1437.jpg|thumb|Driving on Lasseter Highway from Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park.]] |
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The development of [[tourism]] infrastructure adjacent to the base of Uluru that began in the 1950s soon produced adverse environmental impacts. It was decided in the early 1970s to remove all accommodation-related tourist facilities and re-establish them outside the park. In 1975, a reservation of {{convert|104|km2|mi2|0}} of land beyond the park's northern boundary, {{convert|15|km|mi|0}} from Uluru, was approved for the development of a tourist facility and an associated airport, to be known as Yulara. The camp ground within the park was closed in 1983 and the motels closed in late 1984, coinciding with the opening of the Yulara resort. In 1992, the majority interest in the Yulara resort held by the Northern Territory Government was sold and the resort was renamed Ayers Rock Resort. |
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Since the park was listed as a [[World Heritage Site]], annual visitor numbers rose to over 400,000 visitors by the year 2000. Increased tourism provides regional and national economic benefits. It also presents an ongoing challenge to balance conservation of cultural values and visitor needs. |
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[[Image:uluruwarning.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Climbers and a warning sign.]] |
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=== Climbing === |
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The local {{unicode|Aṉangu}} do not climb Uluru because of its great spiritual significance. They request that visitors not climb the rock, partly due to the path crossing a sacred traditional Dreamtime track, and also due to a sense of responsibility for the safety of visitors to their land. The {{unicode|Aṉangu}} believe they have a spiritual connection to Uluru, and feel great sadness when a person dies or is injured whilst climbing. |
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On [[11 December]] [[1983]], then-[[Prime Minister of Australia]] [[Bob Hawke]] promised to hand back the land title to the {{unicode|Aṉangu}} traditional owners and agreed to the community's 10-point plan which included forbidding the climbing of Uluru. However, the government set access to climb Uluru and a 99-year lease, instead of the previously agreed upon 50-year lease, as conditions before the title was officially given back to the {{unicode|Aṉangu}}.<ref name="Toyne1984">{{cite book |title=Growing Up the Country: the Pitjantjatjara Struggle for Their Land |publisher=McPhee Gribble |location=[[Fitzroy, Victoria]] |year=1984 |first=Phillip |last=Toyne |coauthors=Vachon, Daniel |pages=p. 137 |isbn=0-14-0076417 |oclc=12611425}}</ref> |
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Climbing Uluru is a popular attraction for visitors. A chain handhold added in 1964 and extended in 1976 makes the hour-long climb easier, but it is still a long ({{convert|800|m|mi|1|abbr=on|disp=/}}) and steep hike to the top, where it can be quite windy. An above-average level of fitness and a high tolerance to desert conditions is required. Climbing Uluru is generally closed to the public when high winds are recorded at the top. Over the years there have been at least 35 deaths relating to climbing incidents.<ref name="welcomeland" /> |
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=== Photography === |
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The {{unicode|Aṉangu}} also request that visitors not photograph certain sections of Uluru, for reasons related to traditional ''Tjukurpa'' beliefs. These areas are the sites of gender-linked rituals, and are forbidden ground for {{unicode|Aṉangu}} of the opposite sex of those participating in the rituals in question. The photographic ban is intended to prevent {{unicode|Aṉangu}} from inadvertently violating this taboo by encountering photographs of the forbidden sites in the ''outside'' world.<ref name="tjukurpa">{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/culture-history/culture/tjukurpa.html |title={{unicode|Uluṟu - Kata Tjuṯa}} National Park - Tjukurpa |work=Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources |accessdate=2007-04-03 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070307175107/http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/tjukurpa/ |archivedate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |
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== References == |
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<div class="references-small"> |
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<references/> |
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*{{cite book |title=Uluru: Looking After Uluru - Kata Tjuta, the Anangu Way|first=Stanley |last=Breeden |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] Australia |location=[[Roseville Chase, New South Wales|Roseville Chase, NSW]] |origyear=1994 |year=2000 |isbn=0-73180-359-0 |oclc=32470148}} |
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*{{cite book |title=The Rock: Travelling to Uluru |first=Barry |last=Hill |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=[[St Leonards, New South Wales|St Leonards, NSW]] |date=[[1994-11-01]] |isbn=1-86373-778-2 |oclc=33146858}} |
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*{{cite book |title=Ayers Rock: Its People, Their Beliefs and Their Art |first=Charles P |last=Mountford |authorlink=Charles P. Mountford |publisher=Rigby Publishing |location=[[Adelaide]] |origyear=1965 |year=1977 |isbn=0-7270-0215-5 |oclc=6844898}} |
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*{{cite book |title=Growing Up at Uluru, Australia |first=Stanley |last=Breeden |publisher=Steve Parish Publishing |location=[[Fortitude Valley, Queensland]] |year=1995 |isbn=0-947263-89-6 |oclc=34351662}} |
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</div> |
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== See also == |
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* [[Mount Augustus National Park]] |
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* [[Pitjantjatjara#Recognition of sacred sites]] |
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* [[Protected areas of the Northern Territory]] |
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== External links == |
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{{Commons cat}} |
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* [http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/index.html {{unicode|Uluṟu - Kata Tjuṯa}} National Park] - Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources |
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* [http://en.travelnt.com/explore/uluru-kata-tjuta.aspx Northern Territory official tourism site] |
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* [http://www.sacred-destinations.com/australia/uluru-ayers-rock.htm Uluru/Ayers Rock] - Sacred Destinations travel guide |
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[[Category:Australian Aboriginal culture]] |
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[[Category:Monadnocks]] |
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[[Category:Mountains of the Northern Territory]] |
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[[Category:Rock formations in Australia]] |
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[[Category:Sacred rocks]] |
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[[Category:Visitor attractions in the Northern Territory]] |
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[[Category:Words and phrases of Australian Aboriginal origin]] |
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[[bg:Улуру]] |
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[[ca:Ulurú]] |
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[[cs:Uluru]] |
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[[da:Uluru]] |
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[[de:Uluru]] |
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[[et:Uluru]] |
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[[es:Uluru]] |
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[[eo:Uluru]] |
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[[fr:Uluru]] |
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[[ko:울루루]] |
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[[hr:Uluru]] |
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[[id:Uluru]] |
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[[it:Uluṟu]] |
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[[he:אולורו]] |
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[[lb:Uluru]] |
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[[lt:Ajerso uola]] |
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[[mk:Улуру]] |
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[[nl:Uluṟu]] |
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[[ja:ウルル]] |
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[[no:Uluru]] |
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[[oc:Uluru]] |
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[[pl:Uluru]] |
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[[pt:Uluru]] |
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[[ro:Uluru]] |
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[[qu:Uluru]] |
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[[ru:Улуру]] |
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[[simple:Uluru]] |
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[[sl:Uluru]] |
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[[sr:Улуру]] |
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[[fi:Uluru]] |
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[[sv:Uluru]] |
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[[th:โขดหินอุลูรู]] |
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[[vi:Uluru]] |
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[[tr:Uluru]] |
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[[uk:Айера Гори]] |
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[[ur:اولورو]] |
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[[zh:烏魯汝]] |
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Revision as of 01:19, 13 October 2008
October 2008
The recent edit you made to Peanuts constitutes vandalism, and has been reverted. Please do not continue to vandalize pages; use the sandbox for testing. Thank you. J.delanoygabsadds 01:19, 13 October 2008 (UTC)