Uluru

From Freepedia

Image:Uluru.jpg Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in central Australia, in the Northern Territory. It is located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, 350 km southwest of Alice Springs at 25° 20′ 41″ S, 131° 01′ 57″ E. Uluru is sacred to the Aborigines and has many varied springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings.

1 Name
2 Description
3 Climbing Uluru
4 Chamberlain disappearance
5 Further reading
6 External links

Name

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Aborigines call the landmark Uluru, a word with no special meaning in the local Pitjantjatjara language and is also a local family name.

In October 1872 the explorer Ernest Giles was the first non-indigenous person to sight the monolith. He saw it from a considerable distance, and was prevented by Lake Amadeus from approaching closer. He described it as "the remarkable pebble". On 19 July, 1873, the surveyor William Gosse visited the rock and named it Ayers Rock in honour of the then Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers. Since then, both names have been used, although Ayers Rock was the most common name for many years, and remains the most familiar name to non-Australians.

In 1993, a dual naming policy was adopted that allowed official names that consist of both the traditional Aboriginal name and the English name. On 15 December 1993, Uluru was renamed Ayers Rock / Uluru and became the first officially dual named feature in the Northern Territory. The order of the dual names was officially reversed to Uluru / Ayers Rock on 6 November 2002 following a request from the Regional Tourism Association in Alice Springs.

Description

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Uluru is often referred to as a monolith, but it is actually part of a much larger underground rock formation^[1] which includes The Olgas and Mount Connor. Uluru is more than 318 m (986 ft) high, 8 km (5 miles) around with a hard exterior compared to most other large rock formations which has prevented formation of scree slopes, resulting in the unusual steep faces down to ground level.

Uluru is notable for appearing to change colour as the different light strikes it at different times of the day and year, with sunset a particularly remarkable sight. The rock is made of sandstone infused with minerals like feldspar (Arkosic sandstone) that reflect the red light of sunrise and sunset, making it appear to glow. The rock gets its rust colour from oxidation.

On 26 October 1985, the Australian Government returned ownership of Uluru to the local Pitjantjatjara Aborigines, with one of the conditions being that the Anangu would lease it back to the National Parks and Wildlife for 99 years and that it would be jointly managed.

The Aboriginal community of Mutitjulu (pop. approx. 300) is near the western end of Uluru. From Uluru it is 17 km by road to the tourist town of Yulara (pop. 3,000), which is situated just outside of the National Park.

Mount Olga, also called The Olgas or Kata Tjuta, which literally means 'many heads' owing to its peculiar formation, is another rock formation about 25 km from Uluru. Special viewing areas with road access and parking have been constructed to give tourists the best views of both sites at dawn and dusk.

Climbing Uluru

Image:Uluruwarning.jpg The local Anangu request that visitors not climb the rock, partly due to the path crossing an important dreaming track, and also a sense of responsibility for the safety of visitors to their land. In 1983, former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke promised to prohibit climbing, but when title was officially given back to the traditional owners, access to climb Uluru was made a condition before they could receive the title.

Climbing Uluru is a popular attraction for visitors, and while a chain handhold added in 1964 and extended in 1976 makes the hour long climb easier, it is still quite a long and steep hike to the top. Every year there are several deaths, mainly due to heart failure as well as non fatal heart attacks and other injuries.

Chamberlain disappearance

In 1980, baby Azaria Chamberlain disappeared while she and her parents were camping near Uluru. Her mother, Lindy Chamberlain, reported that Azaria had been taken by a dingo, but she was charged with murder in a publicised trial. She was later acquitted of the charge after serving some time in prison, but not before several unsuccessful appeals.

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