Kintore
Kintore (Walungurru) is an indigenous community of the Western Desert situated 530km west of Alice Springs. It is nestled at the base of Pukikatjara (which means ‘two hills’, known as ‘women’s mountain’), and Yuntju (known as ‘men’s mountain,’ access to which is restricted to community members). The community is extremely remote – about six hours drive from Alice Springs near the West Australian border, four hundred kilometres of which is on dirt roads impassable after rain. The very transient population numbers around 450, about half of which are young people and children.
The community of Kintore was established in 1981 by some of the last people in Australia to encounter white man. The language group are known as the Pintubi and they left the settlement of Papunya to their traditional country in the Western Desert.
Kintore is famous for its great artists whose works are well known through the Papunya Tula Gallery. The kids that you will work with in Kintore are family of some of the best contemporary Indigenous artists.
One of the big passions in Kintore is the Hawks – the Hawthorn Hawks; and the Kintore Hawks! You will see that even some of the houses are even painted in Hawks colours. It is a testament to the community’s enthusiasm for Aussie Rules and for sport in general.
Another passion is music. Band and gospel nights are significant community events and the young people are naturally talented.
Lurritja is the most widely spoken language in Kintore, but most of the kids have English as third or fourth language.
Within this dry community there is: a community store; the Walungurru Primary School; a remote campus of Yirara College, a Papunya Tula artist gallery; the Pintubi Homelands Health Service clinic; Ngitaka Women’s Centre, providing aged and child care services; a community swimming pool (may or may not be open); a multi-jurisdictional police station (Northern Territory and Western Australia); the community recreation hall – the green shed; and a dynamic youth program.
TOURS
