Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Uluru-KataUluru-Kata Tju taTju National Parkt wasa inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987 (Stage 1) and 1994 (Stage 2) National Park

Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts © Commonwealth of Australia 2008

65 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was inscribed on the World also Tjukurpa (the law) – the code of behaviour followed by World Heritage Area Heritage List in two stages, initially for its outstanding Anangu today. universal natural values (1987) and then for its outstanding features two of the Tjukurpa regulates all aspects of life, from foraging universal cultural values (1994). world’s most spectacular behaviour and management of the landscape to social geologicalUluru-Kata formations. Natural Tjutarelationships National and personal identity. It is expressed in verbal narratives, through lengthy inma (song cycles and Uluru, an immense rock • as an example of ongoing geological processes formation, and Kata Tjuta, associated ritual), art and the landscape itself. For Anangu • as an example of exceptional natural beauty and the rock domes located the landscape is the narratives, songs and art of Tjukurpa. combination of natural and cultural elements. west of Uluru, form a Anangu learned how to Parkpatch burn the country from fundamental part of the Cultural Tjukurpa of lungkata, the blue tongued lizard. Now, in traditional belief system of • as an outstanding example of traditional human land use conjunction with modern methods, the cool season practice one of the oldest human of lighting small fires close together leaves burnt and societies in the world. • being directly associated with living traditions and beliefs unburnt areas in a pattern like a mosaic. This traditional of outstanding universal significance. knowledge is adopted as a major ecological management The enormous rock The park covers 1,325 km2 of arid ecosystems and is tool in the park. Tjukurpa also teaches about the location formations dominate located close to the centre of Australia in the traditional and care of rock holes and other water sources. the surrounding vast lands of Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal people red sandy plain of Uluru is a huge, rounded, red sandstone monolith 9.4 (locally known as Anangu). central Australia, which kilometres in circumference rising from the plain to a height provides habitat for an The huge rock formations of Uluru and Kata Tjuta are of over 340 metres. Rock art in the caves around its base provides further evidence of the enduring cultural traditions incredible variety of rare remarkable geological and landform features, set in a of Anangu. or threatened plants and contrasting, relatively flat, sand-plain environment. They are animals. a part of an important cultural landscape and have special About 32 kilometres to the west of Uluru lie the 36 steep- significance to Anangu. sided domes of Kata Tjuta. The domes cover an area of 35 The traditional owners square kilometres, with the highest rising to 500 metres of Uluru-Kata Tjuta are The features of Uluru, Kata Tjuta and the surrounding landscape are physical evidence of the actions, artefacts above the plain. This area is sacred under Anangu men’s law known as Anangu. and bodies of the ancestral heroes (Tjukuritja) who travelled and detailed knowledge is restricted. the earth in creation times. These heroic beings, who These huge rock formations, their creek lines, waterholes combined the attributes of humans and animals, journeyed and the surrounding sand country vegetation is an arid across the landscape creating not only its features, but environment of enormous diversity.

66 AUSTRALIA’S WORLD HERITAGE Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 67

Michael Nelson Michael Parks Australia, DEWHA Australia, Parks Landscape. Cultural - A Living Park National K - rock huge The Park. National Tjuta ata K - Kata Tjuta National Park Park National Tjuta Kata - Tjuta ata Michael Nelson Michael plain environment environment -plain sand flat, relatively in a contrasting, set eatures, This area is sacred under Anangu men's law and, as such, detailed knowledge is knowledge detailed such, as and, law men's Anangu under is sacred area This restricted. formations of Uluru and Kata Tjuta are remarkable geological and landform landform and geological are remarkable Tjuta Kata and Uluru of formations f Michael Nelson Michael Uluru Tjuta, strip: Kata top Uluru artist, Anangu top: ants. honey for digging Wanatjura Elsie above: Uluru at sunset, Uluru sunset, at Uluru page: title - - -to introduced . -introduced Kata Tjuta National Park Park National Tjuta Kata - Kata Tjuta Aboriginal Land Trust. The park is leased is leased park The Trust. Land Aboriginal Tjuta Kata - re been recently has pecies, umber of rare mammals are found here, including the hairy the including here, are found mammals rare of umber original majority representing the traditional owners. Day owners. traditional the representing majority original day management is carried out by Parks Australia, a division of of a division Australia, Parks by out is carried management day Water, Environment, the of Department Government Australian the Arts. the and Heritage The landscape is dominated by spinifex and low shrubs, with large large with shrubs, low and spinifex by is dominated landscape The areas Sizeable plains. and dunes sand the on dotted oaks desert dunes on occur also shrubs low other and woodland mulga of rock major the of base the at areas flow alluvial The swales. and grasses. native and acacias bloodwoods, large support formations of a number for habitats restricted provide soaks and holes Water other and mulga of stands Larger species. plant unique and rare Uluru surrounding plain sand wide, harder, the dominate acacias Tjuta. Kata and ongoing the to is critical knowledge ecological traditional Anangu’s habitats. these in found species the of management scientific and birds of species 150 than more to is home park The arid to adapted invertebrates and amphibians reptiles, many environments. A n a mala, The mulgara. the and dunnart sandhill the dunnart, footed s Tjukurpa significant was handed back to the traditional owners in 1985 and is held is held and in 1985 owners traditional the to back handed was Uluru the by back to the Director of National Parks and is jointly managed managed is jointly and Parks National of Director the to back an has which Management of a Board of direction the under Ab Reptile species are well adapted to this arid environment and are and environment arid this to adapted are well species Reptile Lizard world. in the else anywhere unparalleled in numbers found largest Australia’s skink and desert giant rare the include species 2.5 metres. of a length to grow can which perentie, the lizard, Uluru to title freehold inalienable The