Kaltjiti

Kaltjiti (Fregon) South Australia
Kaltjiti (Fregon)
Coordinates	26°45′54″S 131°2′0″E
Population	230 (2016 census)
Established	c. 1934
Postcode(s)	0872
Elevation	524 m (1,719 ft)
LGA(s)	Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
State electorate(s)	Giles
Federal division(s)	Grey
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 28.7 °C 84 °F 13.6 °C 56 °F 222.6 mm 8.8 in

Kaltjiti, formerly known as Fregon, is an Aboriginal community in Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY lands) in South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on "The Lands" (the others being Amata, Ernabella/Pukatja, Pipalyatjara, Indulkana and Mimili).

Geography

Kaltjiti (26.765°S 132.0333°E / -26.765; 132.0333) is situated approximately 45 kilometres south of the Musgrave Ranges and lies west of the Everard Ranges. Kaltjiti is also situated approximately 137 kilometres (85 mi) from Stuart Highway. Kaltjiti lies directly south of Umuwa and Ernabella/Pukatja. The community straddles the Officer Creek, which in turn flows from South Australia's highest mountain, Mount Woodroffe. The creek is usually a dry sandy bed and only flows at times of very high rainfall.

Climate

Based on the climate records from Marla, Kaltjiti experiences summer maximum temperatures of an average of 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) in January and a winter maximum average temperature of 19.7 °C (67.5 °F) in June. Overnight lows range from a mean minimum temperature of 21.8 °C (71.2 °F) in January to 5.0 °C (41.0 °F) in June.

Annual rainfall averages 222.6 millimetres (8.76 in).

Population

As of 2016, Kaltjiti's population has declined to 230 people.

In 2006, the population was 350.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics' 1999 Yearbook indicated population counts of 268 (in 1986), 310 (1991) and 299 (1996).

History

19th century

The first recording by non-Indigenous Australians of a community at Kaltjiti was by explorer Ernest Giles. In September 1873 during his second trip into the South Australian interior, he and another party member, William Tietkens, encountered 200 male Aboriginal men. The Europeans fired shots, allegedly in retaliation for the throwing of spears. The Europeans escaped unharmed; there is no mention of Aboriginal casualties. Giles later acknowledged that Aboriginal aggression was usually due to white trespass on black land. Giles named the river where this occurred "The Officer", by which it was known until the 1930s when it was renamed Officer Creek.

20th century

Harold Brown established the first European settlement in 1934 when he was granted the water permit for the Shirley Well block, 60 kilometres south of Ernabella. The well on the north side of the Officer creek was dug near the existing bore and the Browns built their house on the south side.

Brown and his colleague Allan Brumby had been encouraged by R. M. Williams' stories of successfully hunting dingoes to facilitate a cull encouraged by Government bounties for dingo scalps to take up "dogging" themselves. In about 1929 they headed west on a dogging and prospecting trip that took them through the Musgrave and Mann Ranges and as far as Uluru. They climbed the rock and left a message in a bottle for the next visitors. By the early 1930s Brown had established a base-camp in the Petermann Ranges and was dogging as far west as the Rawlinson and Warburton Ranges. Brown sank a successful well near Officer Creek, south of the Musgrave Ranges, and claimed the government reward. He constructed a mud hut and a dug-out dwelling at Shirley Well and ran some sheep, but continued to make long dogging trips westwards. Brown had an Aboriginal wife and several children, but in 1934 he married a white woman in Alice Springs. He abandoned his Aboriginal wife and their children, and his new wife joined him at Shirley Well.

The South Australian Government resumed Brown's lease in 1939, and Ernabella (now Pukatja) gained grazing rights there. After the abortive attempt in 1957 to jointly establish outstations west of Ernabella, it was decided in 1960 to establish an outstation on the Shirley Well block under the umbrella of Ernabella. Aboriginal people were camped at Shirley Well permanently, which made it easy to expand the sheep industry to include this area.

Fregon was built with government assistance in 1961 as a base for cattlemen and their families. According to tradition, the community took the name "Fregon" at that time in honour of a Mr Fregon of Victoria who donated £5-10,000 to help missionaries establish a bore at the site. A site was chosen 4-5 kilometres south of Shirley Well on the Officer Creek about 60 kilometres south west of Ernabella. The aim of the outstation was to provide training in cattle work and for the families to have access to traditional country in the sandhills to the west. Fregon was administered through Ernabella and it was not until 1968 that it had its own airstrip. It began with a school, a small hospital, a workshop, a small store and staff houses. There were four staff members including a schoolteacher, a nursing sister, an overseer and a cattle manager.

Tuberculosis wiped out the cattle industry and transport business in the 1980s.

21st century

It was reported in early 2019 that a new water source had been found at a site near Kaljiti in a "palaeo-valley", where groundwater is held about 90 metres below the surface (existing sources being about 30m down). Core drill samples have been dated at 5–10 million years old. Pipes were temporarily capped, but elder Witjiti George said that he hoped the water could be used to support a cattle herd, helping to create jobs and an ongoing industry for isolated communities. The new source could also provide much needed drinking water. APY Lands general manager Richard King said the origin of the water was yet to be established, but the water is pure, with low salinity. Government experts were working with Flinders University and the CSIRO to learn more about the source.

Facilities

Kaltjiti has a sealed airstrip (to which mail is delivered once a week).

Diesel power generation facilities supply power to the community.

Water is provided from 4 bores and placed in storage tanks for pumping to the community.

Kaltjiti has the Fregon Anangu School.

Technical and further education ("TAFE" for short) opportunities are provided to the community.

There is a health clinic run by Nganampa Health Council with a doctor who visits both Fregon and Pukatja communities.

There is a general store supplied weekly via road train and forming the main supply for the APY lands.

Kaltjiti has an Australian Rules Football field and a basketball court with night lights.

The community runs the Kaltjiti Arts and Crafts.

Kaltjiti does not have a permanent police presence. South Australia Police are based at Mimili and run patrols in the area. There is a rudimentary shed structure that serves as a police station when police are present. The community is served in the absence of SA Police with one community constable.

As with most APY settlements, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Special Broadcasting Service television are available.

The Uniting Church in Australia has a congregation in Kaltjiti.

A mobile polling booth visits Kaltjiti every 4 years for elections of the Parliament of South Australia.

A permit is required for a member of the public to visit any community on the APY Lands, as they are freehold lands owned by the Aboriginal people.

Sources

• "1999 ABS Yearbook;" (pdf). Australian Bureau of Statistics.
• "2016 Census QuickStats: Kaltjiti (Fregon) and Irintata Homelands". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
• "Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology data".
• Gara, Tom. "History Trust of South Australia" (Conference Paper). Government of South Australia. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• "Kaltjiti Arts".
• Martin, Patrick; Puddy, Rebecca (25 May 2019). "Water discovery in ancient underground valley boosts hopes of development in APY Lands". ABC News. Retrieved 26 May 2019. {{cite news}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• "SA Police Association Newsletter" (pdf).
• "South Australian Department of Primary Industry and Resources" (PDF). Government of South Australia. p. i. Archived from the original (pdf) on 17 July 2005.
• "UCA List of Congregations". Archived from the original on 30 August 2007.

External links

• "PY Law and Culture Website: Fregon Community". Retrieved 24 November 2019. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• "PY Media Site: Fregon community". Retrieved 6 July 2007. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• "Fregon Anangu School Website". Retrieved 6 July 2007. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• "Kaltjiti Arts and Crafts website". Retrieved 5 July 2007. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• "Miri Kutjara Tjungu (Skin to skin) - APY Arts Showcase in Canberra". Louise Maher, 666AM ABC Radio Canberra. 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2007. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)