Nepabunna, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids NepabunnaSouth Australia |
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 Nepabunna
Location in South Australia
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| Established | 1998 |
| Area | 76.37 km2 (29.5 sq mi) |
| Mayor | Ian Johnson |
| Council seat | Nepabunna |
| Region | Far North |
| State electorate(s) | Flinders |
| Federal Division(s) | Grey |
Nepabunna, also spelt Nipapanha, is a small community in the northern Flinders Ranges in north-eastern South Australia, about 600 kilometres (370 mi) north of Adelaide. It is located just west of the Gammon Ranges, and the traditional owners are the Adnyamathanha people.
The settlement was originally established as Nepabunna Mission in 1931, becoming the local government area (LGA) of Nepabunna Community Council with the establishment of a council in 1998. Iga Warta is a separate, independently run small cultural tourism enterprise within the LGA. The Nipabanha Community Aboriginal Corporation runs the Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) over land known as Nantawarrina, once a station for mixed livestock.
At the 2016 Australian census, Nepabunna had a population of 66. Access is via the main Copley to Balcanoona road.
History
The steps to independent management began in the early-mid 90s when 'Nantawarrina' was a property in serious difficulty. Overgrazing by domestic stock and feral animals, and human impacts through tourism caused serious environmental degradation. Concerned about the condition of their land, the Nepabunna community took action, implementing a number of programs.
Community tree planting activities quickly grew into significant land management programs that included feral animal control, repairing damaged fences, monitoring and controlling tourist activity, monitoring endangered species and revegetating and rehabilitating degraded areas.
The community was supported in this effort by the Aboriginal Lands Trust, North Flinders Soil Conservation Board, National Parks and Wildlife - SA, Primary Industries and Resources SA and Save the Bush.
Governance
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The LGA, established in 1998, is managed by Nepabunna Community Inc., under an ALT lease with an expiry date of 2081. The council provides housing maintenance and general municipal services as well as organising cultural tours and education and an annual gymkhana and family day.
Nantawarrina
The Nipabanha Community Aboriginal Corporation runs the Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) over land known as Nantawarrina, once a pastoral station. It was the first IPA established in Australia, in 1998.
In 1982 or 1987, more than 58,000 hectares (140,000 acres) of Adnyamathanha traditional land was purchased from a pastoralist by the South Australian Aboriginal Lands Trust (SAALT). It was first leased out for grazing, until it became obvious that the land was so degraded by overgrazing and other factors that it was no longer suitable grazing land. Around 1997, the IPA programme was just starting up, and the Adnyamathanha people at Nepabunna leapt at the chance to become part of a pilot project. The existing land would be converted into an IPA, which would become part of the Australian National Reserve System, but managed by the Nepabunna Community. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) would help guide the project, while the federal government would provide funding for land management and preservation of cultural heritage, infrastructure and training for Indigenous rangers.
On 1 August 1998 the area, which lies adjacent to the southern boundary of the Gammon Ranges National Park, was formally proclaimed, as the "First Indigenous Protected Area in South Australia, Australia and internationally".
Since then, the rangers have replanted native vegetation, and helped to protect native animals such as the yellow-footed rock wallaby (andu). A programme of removal of feral animals, in particular goats, has been undertaken. Bores have been built and irrigation laid. Restoration work on an old homestead, Irish Well Hut, has been undertaken, and camping sites, a dormitory in a converted TAFE building, as well as separate provision for women, provide accommodation for tourists. They also provide educational and cultural tours and grow bushfoods, as a destination for those interested in sustainable tourism.
In 2000, Nantawarrina won a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) award, and was inscribed in the Global 500 Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievement.
The North Flinders Soil Conservation Board, National Parks and Wildlife Service (South Australia), Primary Industries and Resources SA and Save the Bush have also supported the project.
Bush Heritage Australia works with the rangers to help monitor the flora and fauna of the IPA.
Iga Warta
Iga Warta is a cultural tourism enterprise, run independently by Terrence Coulthard and his family, about 1 square kilometre (0.39 sq mi) in size. Terrence and his wife Josephine compiled the first comprehensive bilingual dictionary of the Adnyamathanha language, which includes descriptions of cultural practices, music and other features of Adnyamathanha life.
Iga Warta means "native orange", named by 19th-century English botanist John Lindley as Capparis mitchelii.
Population and culture
In 2011, there were only about 30 permanent residents at Nepabunna, but the older people were encouraging younger ones to return and learn about their culture. Older adults were engaging in and teaching traditional ceremonies such as the smoking ceremony, skills such as the creation of boomerangs by woodcarving, identifying and cooking bush tucker in traditional ways, and they were passing on the dreamtime stories of the Adnyamathanha people.
At the 2006 census, 49 people were at Nepabunna, but this figure had grown to 66 by the 2016 Census.
Access and facilities
The community, also spelt Nipapanha, is located just west of the Gammon Ranges. Access is via the main Copley to Balcanoona road.
In 2011 a flag of the Adnyamathanha people was created, and raised at Nepabunna on the 80th anniversary of its establishment.
There is a school, Nepabunna Aboriginal School, a church, Nepabunna Community Church, and a cemetery.
