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The arrival of the Europeans
The Europeans arrived in Australia and decided to live down South and little port up North. The Anangu had been traveling up the desert and as they were walking they spotted white strangers. "I thought the first whites I saw were mamu -devil monsters! They had a different ski for us. I thought eh, these blokes are devils from the grave! We couldn't believe our eyes because we had dark skin. It was unbelievable." A quote by Ronnie Tjampitjinpa a member of the Anangu tribe. -
Haasts Bluff Settlement Quote
'When I was a little girl I stayed at Haasts Bluff. We used to go out on donkeys to pick bush tomatoes.' A quote by Narli Nakamarra. -
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The Papunya history and Country
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Stuart the Explorer
In the 1860s, Stuart, an explorer wanted to win the prize. When he reached the centre of Australia, and when he planted the Australian flag, the traditional owners attacked Stuart's camp. He was forced to go back. -
The Arrival Of Strange Animals
In the 1870s, the Anangu( a collective name for indigenous central Australian people) started to see more Tjulkura( a name for white people) riding into the desert on strange animals. The Anangu needed water to survive until the next rain, and so they attacked the camps to gain water. Soon they saw cattle, the Anangu made maps so the cattle owners would follow their footsteps. -
New Buildings
In the 1880s, a school and a stone church were built. The western form of education was also introduced, the Arrente(a language name for a group of people, south of Papunya) began to hear stories about Moses and Tjitju. -
Papunya, famous for the music industry
In the 1980s, a band by the name Warumpi put out their first album, 'Big Name, No Blanket'. Soon the Warumpi band became one of Australia's leading rock band. Ending up on the east coast. -
1880 Quote
"The first time my grandfather saw the missionaries...he was hunting kangaroos, and he saw this dust coming. He doesn't know what's coming. Then he runs back to the camp and tells everybody, then he went to the sandhill, crying and frightened. Sheep and white people coming but they don't know what that is...They thought they were debbils, they don't know whites. They reckon this white is a ghost one, come from the dead." A quote by Joylene Abbott. -
The opening of a New School
In the 1890s, a school opened in a timber and iron building. It was next to the Stuart police station. White children had lessons in the morning and the Aboriginal children had their lesson in the afternoon. "We used to sleep inside in the wet weather. The boys had their own room and the girls had theirs. In the summertime, we just used to camp out on flat - like a mob of sardines. In one bed. And the kids grew up, you know, like brothers and sisters." A quote by Milton Liddle. -
The Federation
In the 1900s, 10 white people had to live in Stuart, and the Federation states linked up under Federal Government. A school started in Stuart, bungalow established. -
Transport and Health
In the 1920s, townsfolk were ecstatic to see the first airplane land, as well as the introduction of transport. By the end of the decade, there was a train going from Adelaide to Stuart. In the same decade, health services improved. Dr. John Flynn set up a hospital in town Alf Traeger, an engineer also invented a transmitter allowing people to send messages over long distances. All these changes made the Tjulkura's life easier yet it made the Arrente people of todd river sick due to diseases. -
A New Way to Paint Country
In the 1930s, a white artist named Rex Baterbee visited the mission, painting landscape with watercolor, When a man from Arrente named Albert Namatjira said ' I think I can do that too.' And within a few years, Namatjira was exhibiting his works of art in a gallery down south. Another artist started to paint in a similar style compared to Namatjira, but it wasn't painted in a traditional way but it was still portraying the artists' connection with there country and their dreaming. -
Devils in the sky
When the first explorers came to Australia, they came by horse or camel. Soon there was a new sort of 'explorer', they traveled through the sky. The Tjulkura journeyed west of Alice Springs to Ilypili, a place in the Pintupi country. Then white men made landing strips so planes could refuel there, They flew around taking many photos. -
Devils In The Sky Quote
"When the plane came, everyone ran and hid behind rocks and trees because they thought it was a mamu. When the plane came it left flour and clothes. All the kids were lined up to be given flour. Everyone thought it was awful, poison one. Some people buried the tinned food in a hole. -
Anangu Come to at Alalpi
Throughout all these years, the Anangu were squeezed out of their country by cattle stations as well as the increasingly hard to find food, and so they gradually went camping at Alapi. -
Kamutu's Hymn
A hymn composed by five of Kamutu's grandchildren: One old man heard and said:
'Come and listen to the word of God!'
Kamutu brought us, Luritja people
From a place called Ilpili. The people who heard his messages found the way.
Others followed the wrong direction and lost the way.
Every one of us should believe the words
That Jesus had written. Today we only follow Jesus.
Look and leave the wrong way.
Jesus is the one to follow.
He will take you home.
He will take you home. -
Haasts Bluff Settlement
In the 1950s, a long period of drought had dawned on them. The Anangu were forced in their country and soon they found it harder and harder to survive in these conditions. It was also fairly difficult to find the right marriage partners and so populations decreased and fewer people came to the ceremonies. Soon more Anangu went to Haasts Bluff and settled there while rockets were tested all over the deserts. -
The Papunya School Starts
In the 1960s, the school in Papunya had officially started. The children were required to change into uniform and arrive at school. At the school, the children were not required to speak their own language. The teachers did not understand that the children had been taught by their relatives since the Tjukurrpa. -
The Papunya Art
In the 1970s, there were about 1400 people living in the Papunya area. A white man was now in charge of everything, a teacher by the name Geoffrey Bardon actually encouraged the students to paint culturally. To paint murals and the school walls. A man came upon these pieces of art and the school soon sold murals for money. -
Papunya, Famous for Art Quote
'Yes in the old day's people never showed their paintings. But now there is a new way of life...Now we want to show our paintings to everybody; Show them to the world. This land! They have taken away from us and they didn't even think about it! This is the reason we want to show the world our Dreamtime culture, so that they can understand our way of life. They are probably starting to think back now on what has been happening to Aboriginal people.' -
Papunya Famous for Art
Also in the 1880s, art galleries, all over the world began to buy and exhibit Papunya paintings. -
Power to Papunya!
In the 1990s, Papunya hit the newspaper headlines once again, as the community finally took action to control their own lives. The first battle became known as the power dispute. When the Government first set up electricity it was free but in 1992 the Government suddenly said that Anangu would have to pay electricity bills every three months. -
Papunya School tells its story
In the last few years of the twentieth century, Papunya became stronger and stronger. Communities members join together and camp for a couple of days, elders tell stories about the Yara and show them out to find food and how to dig for water. -
The Papunya School Book Published
In 2001, the Papunya School book was finally published.