Mimili is an
Aboriginal
Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to:
*Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology
* Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area
*One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
community in the
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in
South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on "The Lands" (the others being
Amata,
Pukatja,
Kaltjiti,
Indulkana and
Pipalyatjara
Pipalyatjara (formerly Mount Davies) is an Aboriginal Australians, Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on " ...
). At the
2016 Australian census
The 2016 Australian census was the 17th national population census held in Australia. The census was officially conducted with effect on Tuesday, 9 August 2016. The total population of the Commonwealth of Australia was counted as – an incre ...
, Mimili had a population of 243.
After European settlement in the 19th century, there was a
cattle station on the land, which was named Everard Park. The station was purchased by the
South Australian government in 1972 before transferring it to the
traditional owners.
Geography
Mimili is situated in South Australia, within the APY, about west of the
Stuart Highway and south of
Alice Springs
Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
.
[
]
History and significance
According to the local Pitjantjatjara people, Mimili is the original name. The community grew around the Everard Park cattle station, and is surrounded by the rocky Everard Ranges. The land was handed back to the traditional owners in 1972.[
The settlement was funded by the ]federal government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
as an outstation during the 1980s.[PDF]
/ref>
Significance
The site, surrounded by the mountains, is a special place, or sacred site, to the local Pitjantjatjara people, believed to be the site of the '' maku'' (witchetty grub) Dreaming. The maku is the local school's emblem.
Climate
Based upon the climate records of the nearest weather station at Marla Police Station, Mimili experiences summer maximum temperatures of an average of 37.1 °C in January and a winter maximum average temperature of 19.7 °C in June. Overnight lows range from a mean minimum temperature of 21.8 °C in January to 5.0 °C in June.
Annual rainfall averages 222.6 millimetres.
Demographics
, Mimili's population was 243. 69.8% of the people identified as Aboriginal Australians, 2.8% as Torres Strait Islanders. 92.5% were born in Australia. 65% reported speaking Pitjantjatjara at home; 9.6% spoke only English at home. Of those available in the work force
The workforce or labour force is a concept referring to the pool of human beings either in employment or in unemployment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic regio ...
, all were employed, about half of those being part-time. Roughly a quarter of those employed were managers, a quarter community and personal service workers and a quarter professionals.[
]
Facilities
Mimili has an airstrip and a health facility known as Nganampa Health Mayatjar. There are council facilities. Diesel power generation facilities supply power to the community. Water is provided from 5 bores and placed in storage tanks for pumping to the community.
The Mimili Anangu School
Anungu schools is a group of ten schools operated by the Government of South Australia which are located in the west of the Australian state of South Australia. Eight are located in the Aboriginal lands of Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (A ...
has an enrolment of approximately 60 children. Attendance at the school benefited from the construction of a swimming pool in a joint Commonwealth / State Government initiative that was operational in September 2006 and officially opened the following month on 28 October 2006 by Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Families, Communities and Indigenous Affairs Mal Brough.
Mimili was the first community in the APY Lands to create a bush foods garden. The garden was a source of training and education for students of technical and further education (or "TAFE") in the Mimili area.
Mimili has a permanent South Australian police station, open seven days a week.
A mobile polling booth visits Mimili for elections every four years to elect 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.
Art centre
Mimili Maku Arts is one of ten Indigenous-owned and -governed enterprises that go to make up the APY Art Centre Collective
Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, also known as APY, APY Lands or ''the Lands'', is a large, sparsely-populated local government area (LGA) for Aboriginal people, located in the remote north west of South Australia. Some of the aṉan ...
, established in 2013. Its name derives from the Maku ( witchetty grub) Tjukurpa, which is found in the paintings of senior artists like Betty Kuntiwa Pumani (winner National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award
The National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA) is Australia's longest running Indigenous art award. Established in 1984 as the National Aboriginal Art Award by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin ...
-winner 2015 & 2016 and winner of the 2017 Wynne Prize), Ngupulya Pumani (finalist NATSIAA 2015, finalist Wynne Prize 2017), Tuppy Goodwin (finalist NATSIAA 2018) and Puna Yanima.
People
*Zaachariaha Fielding of Electric Fields
References
Further external links
*
*
*
{{authority control
Towns in South Australia
Aboriginal communities in South Australia
Australian Aboriginal missions
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara