The story of Ntaripe (Heavitree Gap)
Mparntwe (Alice Springs), NT Australia
There is a Gap in the MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territories of Australia named Heavitree Gap. It seems that William Whitfield Mills named the Gap after his school here in Devon. Mills does indeed seem to be an extraordinary character and the story of the laying of the overland telegraph wire is fascinating. However, the Gap of course already had a name and we're conscious that there is an alternative history here - that of the indigenous people of area.
Images kindly supplied by Stuart Traynor - author of Alice Springs: From Singing Wire to Iconic Outback Town
The Arrernte history
Back in 2015 we also opened a conversation through the Akeyulerre Healing Centre ("a-KEY-lia") who run bush schools in the area and have contacts with the Arrernte custodians of Ntaripe. Right now we're just listening but we hope that they will come to trust us enough to accept a hand of friendship from one community to another. No governments, no politics, just people to people, place to place.
Here are some of the ways in which we've been able to make connections across the globe so far:-
A LETTER FROM THE NATIVE CUSTODIAN OF NTARIPE TO YOU, THE PEOPLE OF HEAVITREE, UK
March 2016
The letter below is from Dan Murphy from Akeyulerre but also from Penangke [Cultural Worker] and Kngwarreye, Apmerke-artweye for Mparntwe, [not from Akeyulerre]. You will see Doris (Kngwarreye) at “Love Lhere Mparntwe” on facebook. She is a Mparntwe-arenye woman. Arenye means belongs to, she belongs to Mparntwe. Her skin name is Kngwarreye, Mparntwe skin is Kngwarreye- Peltharre, so it is her father’s father’s country, that means she is apmereke-artweye and has the right to talk for this mparntwe country.
"Dear Jojo
Nice to hear from you again. You might call it Autumn here in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), it seems at least that the hot summer times are coming to an end. The weather man says it’s looking like just making it up into the mid 30s for the next week, lovely to have some cool weather after a long hot summer.
So happy that your project is going so well and people are reconnecting to their country. It’s a connection that is invaluable and very important to all of us living on this small and fragile planet.
Here in Mparntwe we are still trying to maintain and retain our connection with this place. As well as trying to share some understanding of what that means with the settlers who have come to live in our country. It’s a difficult job as our sacred sites are constantly under threat from development, and the powers that be are trying to fracture and demoralise our original families.
At present there is a push to Dam our river, Lhere Mparntwe (Todd River) and destroy an important women’s sacred site, a site that is like the centrepiece of a songline that travels right across Australia, connecting many different peoples with one story. Also they are trying to damage another sacred site that was damaged 10 years ago and the culprits were taken to court and prosecuted. Now it seems they think it is ok to do worse damage to this same site for the same reason, putting in a bike path, when there is another bike path running parallel about 100 metres away! Please like our site on Facebook “Love Lhere Mparntwe”. Lhere Mparntwe is the river that flows down through Ntaripe (heavitree gap).
Again another worry is our Northern Territory Chief Minister wants to put on a big light show for tourists attacking another very important site for us, also part of a large story that travels across many, many miles. He wants to light up this place with indigenous imagery and artworks, but the indigenous people belonging to this place know this is not right. This place has its’ own story, we can’t put the wrong story there. The pressure is immense but we keep struggling on bravely and are thankful for the kind words and support of good people like yourself.
Wish you all the best with your works reconnecting and caring for your country at Heavitree, and hoping you have a lovely springtime and a warm summer.
All the best.
Penangke
Cultural worker, Mparntwe.
Penpal project between St Michael's CofE Primary Academy and Alice Springs Steiner School
Summer 2017
In 2017, Mrs Emma Bone's Year 6 class at St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, Heavitree participated in a penpal project with pupils from the Steiner School in Alice Springs. Mrs Bone reported in the Heavitree news "The children were so excited to receive the letters. It is hoped that taking this multi-cultural view of history and encouraging connection between young people across the globe can only lead to a greater appreciation of what is means to be part of this one shared earth". The pen-pal project was brokered by JoJo Spinks and Dan Murphy Bushschool Co-ordinator for Akeyulerre based largely on this email received from Dan on 21st June 2016
"Hi JoJo
Recently we have been doing some work with a primary school just outside of town. One of the mothers went for a walk with the children one day, and realised that they had been going to a sacred site and had been playing there and moving rocks around etc, the mother was very worried about this and thought the school needed to talk to the traditional owners about this. She thought there might be trouble. We arranged a meeting and it was all good, the old people said the school had been very respectful and had involved the custodians in planning for where the school should be built. They said the country had recognised those kids as having good spirits and had invited them into that sacred site and had been playing with them and learning from them and the country spirits had now sent a message to the old people to let them know that it was time to start teaching the kids more about this country.
And this morning we were just up on top of a hill in town, showing the kids a different way of looking at the country and telling them some of the story and how they fit in to this place.
Attached is a story the old people wrote to tell the kids about the sacred place they had been visiting and how they now needed to look after that place."
Summer 2017
In 2017, Mrs Emma Bone's Year 6 class at St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, Heavitree participated in a penpal project with pupils from the Steiner School in Alice Springs. Mrs Bone reported in the Heavitree news "The children were so excited to receive the letters. It is hoped that taking this multi-cultural view of history and encouraging connection between young people across the globe can only lead to a greater appreciation of what is means to be part of this one shared earth". The pen-pal project was brokered by JoJo Spinks and Dan Murphy Bushschool Co-ordinator for Akeyulerre based largely on this email received from Dan on 21st June 2016
"Hi JoJo
Recently we have been doing some work with a primary school just outside of town. One of the mothers went for a walk with the children one day, and realised that they had been going to a sacred site and had been playing there and moving rocks around etc, the mother was very worried about this and thought the school needed to talk to the traditional owners about this. She thought there might be trouble. We arranged a meeting and it was all good, the old people said the school had been very respectful and had involved the custodians in planning for where the school should be built. They said the country had recognised those kids as having good spirits and had invited them into that sacred site and had been playing with them and learning from them and the country spirits had now sent a message to the old people to let them know that it was time to start teaching the kids more about this country.
And this morning we were just up on top of a hill in town, showing the kids a different way of looking at the country and telling them some of the story and how they fit in to this place.
Attached is a story the old people wrote to tell the kids about the sacred place they had been visiting and how they now needed to look after that place."
In September 2019 were we very pleased to offer a unique opportunity to chat first hand to Stuart Traynor, the author of Alice Springs - From Singing Wire to Iconic OutbackTown,
Stuart came to Heavitree UK to share his research focusing on the role of Devon-born William Whitfield Mills in the naming of Alice Springs and, of course, the famous Heavitree Gap through the MacDonnell ranges. Born in Plymouth, surveyor W. W. Mills came to be acknowledged by his contemporaries as an accomplished bushman. He named Heavitree Gap for a school he attended here.
Stuart Traynor at the Telegraph Station, Alice Springs with Doris Stuart
|
|
Stuart on his visit to Heavitree, Exeter - September 2019