page_title: Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
section_title: Creation of the park
hierarchical_section_title: Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park / History / Creation of the park
caption_attribution_description: English: Yulara seen from helicopter, August 2004
context_page_description: Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park is a national park of Australia. It is in the Northern Territory, 440 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs. The park surrounds the two huge rock formations after which it is named: Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa.
context_section_description: In the late 1930s, prospectors thought there might be gold in the area. There was a famous story of a lost gold deposit called Lasseter's Reef. The man who said he had found it had died near the Petermann Ranges in 1931, and it was said to be located somewhere in the area. In 1940, the Petermann Reserve was made smaller, so that people could look for the gold. At the same time, an interest in tourism at Uluṟu began to grow. A track for vehicles to reach Uluṟu was built from Curtin Springs in 1948. Tour groups from Alice Springs began arriving a few years later. At first, the government only allowed a few tour companies to go to the rock, because it was still part of the reserve. But demand for tourist income was growing fast. In 1951, Connellan Airways asked for an airstrip to be built next to Uluṟu, even though planes were already landing there.
  In 1958, the government cut the area around Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa from the Aṉangu reserve, creating the Ayers Rock–Mt Olga National Park. It claimed that the rocks were no longer important to the natives. The new park was managed by the Territory government, which leased the land out to tour companies. Connellan built their airstrip close to the northern side of Uluṟu in 1959. Campsites and motels were built in 1967.
  The Aṉangu were told not to come into the park, but they did anyway. Uluṟu was an important stopping point on travels because of the water usually located there. At first they were tolerated by the park rangers. But as the number of tourists at Uluṟu rose, there were conflicts between tourists and Aṉangu. The government then tried to move them away from the area by building the Docker River village, 200 km (120 mi) to the west, in 1968. Because their homeland and lifestyle had changed, the Aṉangu had to find new ways to make a living. They began selling handicrafts and artworks to tourists. Those still living at Uluṟu even opened a store, called the Ininti Store, which they leased from the government in 1972.
  In 1971, Aṉangu groups met with the Office of Aboriginal Affairs, a part of the government that were in charge of looking after aboriginal people. Aṉangu people told the Office that they were worried about the effects mining and tourism were having on their land. They also said that their sacred sites were being desecrated (not being looked after properly). They asked for the government's help in protecting them.
  In 1973, people from the government visited to make a report on the park. This report said that Aṉangu should be involved in the park's management. It said they could be hired as rangers, and that their sacred sites should be protected. It also advised that all the tourist facilities be moved out of the park. This was because they were having a bad effect on the environment. In 1975, the area called Yulara, 15 km (9.3 mi) to the north, was set aside for this. The airstrip was removed and rebuilt in Yulara in 1982. The resort at Yulara opened in 1983. After that, the campground and motels inside the park were closed, and everything was removed from the park by the end of 1984.
caption: Yulara, built as a resort town in the 1980s.
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