Haasts Bluff, also known as Ikuntji, is an

Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...

community in

Central Australia Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and i ...

, a region of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

. The community is located in the

MacDonnell Shire The MacDonnell Regional Council is a local government area of the Northern Territory, Australia. The region covers an area of and had an estimated population of 6,863 people in June 2018. Geography MacDonnell Regional Council occupies the ...

local government area, west of

Alice Springs Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...

. At the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

, the community, including outstations, had a population of 207.

History

The Haasts Bluff community takes its name from the nearby outcrop, given this name in 1872 by the explorer

Ernest Giles William Ernest Powell Giles (20 July 1835 – 13 November 1897), best known as Ernest Giles, was an Australian explorer who led five major expeditions to parts of South Australia and Western Australia. Early life Ernest Giles was born in Bris ...

, after the German-born New Zealand

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

Julius von Haast Sir Johann Franz Julius von Haast (1 May 1822 – 16 August 1887) was a German-born New Zealand explorer, geologist, and founder of the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. Early life Johann Franz Julius Haast was born on 1 May 1822 in Bo ...

. The locality was established as a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

mission in 1946, and is home to Western

Arrernte Arrernte (also spelt Aranda, etc.) is a descriptor related to a group of Aboriginal Australian peoples from Central Australia. It may refer to: * Arrernte (area), land controlled by the Arrernte Council (?) * Arrernte people, Aboriginal Australi ...

Pintupi The Pintupi are an Australian Aboriginal group who are part of the Western Desert cultural group and whose traditional land is in the area west of Lake Macdonald and Lake Mackay in Western Australia. These people moved (or were moved) into the ...

and

Pitjantjatjara The Pitjantjatjara (; or ) are an Aboriginal people of the Central Australian desert near Uluru. They are closely related to the Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra and their languages are, to a large extent, mutually intelligible (all are vari ...

people. The term "

Finke River Mission Hermannsburg, also known as Ntaria, is an Aboriginal community in Ljirapinta Ward of the MacDonnell Shire in the Northern Territory of Australia, ; west southwest of Alice Springs, on the Finke River, in the traditional lands of the Western A ...

" was initially an alternative name for the Hermannsburg Mission, but this name was later often used to include the settlements at Haasts Bluff, Areyonga and, later,

Papunya Papunya (Pintupi-Luritja: ''Warumpi'') is a small Indigenous Australian community roughly northwest of Alice Springs (Mparntwe) in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is known as an important centre for Contemporary Indigenous Australian art, ...

. It now refers to all Lutheran missionary activity in

since the first mission was established at Hermannsburg in 1877.

Art

A number of notable Indigenous artists were born, raised, or lived at Haasts Bluff, including

Makinti Napanangka Makinti Napanangka ( 1930 – 9 January 2011) was a Pintupi language, Pintupi-speaking Indigenous Australians, Indigenous Australian artist from Australia's Western Desert cultural bloc, Western Desert region. She was referred to posthumously ...

Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri (c. 1955–2008) was a Pintupi-Luritja-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region, and sister of artist Molly Jugadai Napaltjarri. Daisy Jugadai lived and painted at Haasts Bluff, Northern Terr ...

Tjunkiya Napaltjarri Tjunkiya Napaltjarri (also known as Tjunkiya Kamayi, Tjungkiya, Tunkaii Napaltari, Kowai or Kamayi) (c. 1927–2009) was a Pintupi-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. She is the sister of artist Wintjiya Napaltja ...

Wintjiya Napaltjarri Wintjiya Napaltjarri (born between ca. 1923 to 1934) (also spelt Wentjiya, Wintjia or Wentja), and also known as Wintjia Napaltjarri No. 1, is a Pintupi-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. She is the sister of ar ...

Eileen Napaltjarri Eileen Napaltjarri (born 1956) is a Pintupi-speaking Aboriginal Australian artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Eileen Napaltjarri, also known as Anyima Napaltjarri, began painting for Papunya Tula artists' cooperative in 1996. She was ...

Nora Andy Napaltjarri Nora Andy Napaltjarri (born c. 1957) is a Warlpiri- and Luritja-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. like her mother Entalura Nangala, Nora has painted for Indigenous artists' cooperative Papunya Tula. Her work has ...

Ada Andy Napaltjarri Ada Andy Napaltjarri (born c. 1954) is a Warlpiri– and Luritja–speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Ada was born near Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory, and has lived in several Northern Territory communities. ...

Ngoia Pollard Napaltjarri Ngoia Pollard Napaltjarri (born c. 1948; also known as Ngnoia) is a Walpiri-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Ngoia Pollard married Jack Tjampitjinpa, who became an artist working with the Papunya Tula compan ...

Molly Jugadai Napaltjarri Molly Jugadai Napaltjarri (1954–2011) was a Pintupi- and Luritja-speaking Aboriginal artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Her paintings are held in major collections, including the National Gallery of Australia. Life Molly Juga ...

Norah Nelson Napaljarri Norah Nelson Napaljarri (born 26 October 1956) is a Warlpiri-speaking Aboriginal artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Norah Nelson began painting in 1986 and has exhibited her works both in Australia and other countries. Her paintin ...

Doris Bush Nungarrayi Doris Bush Nungarrayi is an Australian Aboriginal artist (born c. 1942, in Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory). She is a painter at the Aboriginal-owned Papunya Tjupi art centre in Papunya, an Indigenous Australian community northwest of Alice Spri ...

Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, (circa 1920–2008) was an Pitjantjatjara artist from Central Australia who didn't start painting on canvas until he was 85 years old. He painted from his adopted home of Mount Liebig and soon became internationally succ ...

, and

Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula (sometimes just Turkey Tolson; – 10 August 2001) was a Pintupi language, Pintupi-speaking Indigenous Australian, Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert cultural bloc, Western Desert region. Born near Haas ...

Ikuntji Artists

Ikuntji Artists is a

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Aboriginal art centre, run by a board of seven Indigenous directors. It was the first art centre established by women in the

Western Desert Art Movement Papunya Tula, registered as Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd, is an artist cooperative formed in 1972 in Papunya, Northern Territory, owned and operated by Aboriginal people from the Western Desert of Australia. The group is known for its innovative ...

, starting out as a women's centre in 1992.

played a significant role in its establishment as an art centre, with the assistance of

Marina Strocchi Marina Strocchi (born 28 December 1961) is an internationally-exhibited Australian painter and printmaker whose work is held in many national collections. Strocchi is based in Alice Springs and has worked extensively with Aboriginal artists in C ...

. The centre was incorporated as Ikuntji Artists Aboriginal Corporation in 2005, and many of the artists' works are now represented in national and international collections. Around 100 local artists are represented by the centre. In 2019, Ikuntji artist Eunice Napanangka Jack won the Vincent Lingiari Art Award for her painting titled ''Kuruyultu'', which is the name of her birthplace. Singer

Jessica Mauboy Jessica Hilda Mauboy (born 4 August 1989) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of ''Australian Idol'', where she was runner-up and subseq ...

, Minister for Indigenous Australians

Linda Burney Linda Jean Burney (born 25 April 1957) is an Australian politician and is an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing Barton since the 2016 federal election. She is Minister for Indigenous Australi ...

, and Australian comedian Celeste Barber have worn clothing featuring design by Ikuntji, and Ikuntji art has been displayed in Europe. In September 2022, artists Keturah Zimran and Roseranna Larry travelled to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France, where their designs were being showcased in fashion shows. A book, ''Ikuntji Textiles'', was launched in September 2022 at the

Museum of Contemporary Art Australia The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), located on George Street in Sydney's The Rocks neighbourhood, is solely dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting, and collecting contemporary art, from across Australia and around the world. It is ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

References

Towns in the Northern Territory Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory {{NorthernTerritory-geo-stub