Warakurna is a large
Aboriginal community, located in the
Goldfields-Esperance region of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, within the
Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku
The Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku is a remote local government area in Western Australia near the Northern Territory/South Australian border. It is from Perth.
It was formed on 1 July 1993 following a report of the Local Government Boundaries Commi ...
and is situated on the
Great Central Road
The Great Central Road is a mostly unsealed Australian outback highway that runs from Laverton, Western Australia to Yulara, Northern Territory (near Uluru / Ayers Rock). It passes through a number of small communities on the way.
History
The ...
(part of the
Outback Way ultimately connecting
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
to
Cairns diagonally across Australia). It is at the western end of the
Rawlinson Ranges.
At the , Warakurna had a population of 268, including 237 who identified as
Aboriginal Australians
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 Isl ...
, most of whom speak
Ngaanyatjarra
The Ngaanyatjarra, also known (along with the Pini) as the Nana, are an Indigenous Australian cultural group of Western Australia. They are located in the Goldfields-Esperance region, as well as Northern Territory.
Language
Ngaanyatjarra is ...
at home.
History
In the early 1970s several factors, including the availability of government funding for
outstations, easier road access, and over-crowding at
Docker River (Kaltukatjara) settlement and Warburton Mission, all combined to make the location of
Giles Weather Station
Giles Weather Station (also referred to as Giles Meteorological Station or Giles) is located in Western Australia near the Northern Territory border, about west-south-west of Alice Springs and west of Uluru. It is the only staffed weather sta ...
ideal for a new community. The Warakurna community became incorporated in 1976 and a member of the
Ngaanyatjarra
The Ngaanyatjarra, also known (along with the Pini) as the Nana, are an Indigenous Australian cultural group of Western Australia. They are located in the Goldfields-Esperance region, as well as Northern Territory.
Language
Ngaanyatjarra is ...
Council in 1981.
Native title
The community is located within the determined
Ngaanyatjarra
The Ngaanyatjarra, also known (along with the Pini) as the Nana, are an Indigenous Australian cultural group of Western Australia. They are located in the Goldfields-Esperance region, as well as Northern Territory.
Language
Ngaanyatjarra is ...
Lands (Part A) (WAD6004/04)
native title
Aboriginal title is a common law doctrine that the land rights of indigenous peoples to customary tenure persist after the assumption of sovereignty under settler colonialism. The requirements of proof for the recognition of aboriginal title, ...
claim area.
Town planning
Warakurna Layout Plan No.1 was prepared in accordance with State Planning Policy 3.2 Aboriginal Settlements and was endorsed by the community in 2003 and the
Western Australian Planning Commission
The Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) is an independent statutory authority of the Government of Western Australia that exists to coordinate strategic and statutory planning for future urban, rural and regional land use. The authori ...
in 2004.
Facilities
Children of school age at Warakurna attend the Warakurna campus of the
Ngaanyatjarra Lands School which was formed in 2007 by administratively combining nine remote campuses in the Ngaanyatjarra lands.
Warakurna campus caters to year nine, then students must transfer to the larger campus at
Warburton.
The community is serviced by the
Giles Airstrip which provides a 24-hour all-weather gravel runway with two services weekly to Alice Springs, and
Royal Flying Doctor Service
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), commonly known as the Flying Doctor, is an air medical service in Australia. It is a non-profit organisation that provides emergency and primary health care services for those living in rural, remote an ...
transport as required. It also has a community hall, women's centre, health clinic, football oval, basketball court and 25-metre indoor swimming pool.
The first Indigenous-run police station in Western Australia is at Warakurna, set up some years ago and already showing some positive effects. Filmmaker Cornel Ozies, who made a documentary about the station, called ''Our Law'' and shown at the 2020
Sydney Film Festival
The Sydney Film Festival is an annual competitive film festival held in Sydney, Australia, usually over 12 days in June. A number of awards are given, the top one being the Sydney Film Prize.
the festival's director is Nashen Moodley.
Histo ...
, puts the success of the program down to four things: "respect, understanding, communication, and education". The two
Noongar
The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...
police officers learnt the local Ngaanyatjarra language and cultural protocols of the people.
In popular culture
Warakurna is also mentioned in the Midnight Oil song "Warakurna" in their No #1 hit album "
Diesel and Dust".
References
External links
Native Title Claimant application summary
{{authority control
Towns in Western Australia
Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku
Aboriginal communities in Goldfields-Esperance