Alpurrurulam | |||||||||||||
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  Alpurrurulam | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates:20°59′02″S137°50′11″E / 20.9839°S 137.8363°E /-20.9839; 137.8363[1] | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Northern Territory | ||||||||||||
| LGA | |||||||||||||
| Location |
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| Government | |||||||||||||
| • Territory electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 9.9 km2 (3.8 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 420 (2016 census)[7] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 42.4/km2 (109.9/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+9:30 (ACST) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 4825[2] | ||||||||||||
| Mean max temp | 32.9 °C (91.2 °F)[8] | ||||||||||||
| Mean min temp | 17.7 °C (63.9 °F)[8] | ||||||||||||
| Annual rainfall | 398.9 mm (15.70 in)[8] | ||||||||||||
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| Adjoining localities[10][11] | |||||||||||||
Alpurrurulam, from the original Aboriginal nameIlperrelhelame, also known asLake Nash, is a locality in theNorthern Territory of Australia located in the territory's east about 1,206 kilometres (749 mi) south-east of the territory capital ofDarwin and about 570.1 kilometres (354.2 mi) east of the municipal seat ofTennant Creek and about 17 kilometres (11 mi) from the border with the state ofQueensland. The town is at the end of theSandover Highway, which floods each year during thewet season and cuts all road access to the community.[12]
The waterhole known as Lake Nash to European settlers was used by Aboriginal peoples for millennia, and was called Ilperrelhelame in theAlyawarre language. It has manyDreaming legends attached to it, and the localAlyawarre people lived in a traditional way, hunting and foraging and performing theirceremonies until 1920.[12]
Alpurrurulam grew out of disagreement between the owners of Lake Nash Station and the Aboriginal people living near theGeorgina River, many of whom worked at thecattle station. In the early 1980s it was planned to move the community to Bathurst Downs, which was regarded as “poison country” by the local Alyawarre. In 1982 the community requested some land of their own near the station, addressing the then Chief Minister of theNorthern Territory Government. After a legal battle, 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) was excised from thepastoral lease of the 12,000-square-kilometre (3×10^6-acre)Lake Nash Station and given back in 1983, forming what is now Alpurrurulam. The Alpurrurulam Land Aboriginal Corporation (ALAC), a board of communityelders, was established as landowner.[12]
The Alpurrurulam Community Government Council (CGC)[13] was thelocal government authority until 1 July 2008, when there was an amalgamation of councils into a newshire framework and the town was absorbed into theBarkly Shire.[14][15]
Alpurrurulam is located within the federal division ofLingiari, the territory electoral division ofBarkly and the local government area of theBarkly Region,[4][3][1] in theward of Alpurrurulam.[16]
The town is usually called Alpurrurulam or Lake Nash. The town is mostly referred to as Lake Nash colloquially, and for mail delivery (viaMount Isa), and Alpurrurulam for all official matters, such as acensus.
The 2016 Australian census which was conducted in August 2016 reports that Alpurrurulam had a population of 420 people of whom 387 (92.1%) identified as beingAboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.[7]
The people of Alpurrurulam have close historical ties with the people ofAmpilatwatja, inUtopia.[17]
Services include the Barkly Regional Council Alpurrurulam Service Centre, aged care facilities, night patrol, sport and recreation,Centrelink, a post office, the Warte Alparayetye community-owned store, Alpurrurulam Community School (to Year 9), and the Rainbow Gateway, a new community development program.[12] Lake Nash AFC are the town'sAustralian rules football club that plays in theAFL Mount Isa league inQueensland, it has a men's team known as the Young Guns[18] and a women's team known as the Giants.[19]
There is an airstrip, with planes departing for Mt Isa for health appointments once a week, and a special mail plane on Fridays.[12]
Awind farm and asolar farm with hybrid solar-diesel power system, were installed in 2011–2012.[12]
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