The Ltyentye Apurte Community, also known as Santa Teresa, is an
Arrernte indigenous community in the
Northern Territory, Australia, located about south-east 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 ...
.
History
The mission run by the
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC; la, Missionarii Sacratissimi Cordis; french: Missionnaires du Sacré-Coeur) are a missionary congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1854 by Servant of God Jules Chevalier (182 ...
at
Arltunga was moved to Santa Teresa in 1953. It included a Mission school and dormitories which accommodated Aboriginal children aged 5 to 17 years. Hospital care was provided.
Father Thomas Dixon was responsible for the church.
In 1976, administration was passed from the Mission to an Aboriginal land trust and the community was renamed Ltyentye Apurte. Although the residential section of the Mission school was closed in the same year, the day school remains operational and in the hands of the church.
The Keringke Arts Centre was established in 1989. Since 2007 women in the community have painted religious crosses which are exported to Catholic churches around the world.
In 1996, the population was recorded at 458, rising to 555 in 2011 and to 682 in 2016.
According to data from the 2011 census, Santa Teresa is the most
Catholic place in Australia.
Governance
The community is governed by a Community Government Council which runs the health service (with dialysis room) and some other facilities. The community contains
Catholic primary/senior school police station, airstrip and Catholic Church. Since 1 July 2008, the
MacDonnell Shire is the responsible
local government for the area.
Sport
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
is popular in the community, with matches played at the Santa Teresa Oval which was resurfaced from sand loam to grass in 2021 through a project in partnership with the AFL's
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. It is based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, ...
Red and Blue Foundation.
Awards
In 2019, Ltyentye Apurte Community won the
Australian Tidy Town Awards competition and is named ''Australian most sustainable Community''.
References
External links
Macdonnell Shire - Ltyentye ApurteCommunity profile - Santa Teresa
(2009)
{{Localities and communities of the MacDonnell Region, state=collapsed
Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory
Former local government areas of the Northern Territory
Australian Aboriginal missions
Arrernte
MacDonnell Region
Catholic Church in the Northern Territory