WATARRU

Watarru Community is an Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands in South Australia. (one of a number of communities or homelands on “The Lands”; others include Amata, Ernabella/Pukatja, Fregon/Kaltjiti, Indulkana, Kalka and Mimili). Watarru Community sits at the foot of Mount Lindsay and the community has at times been known as “Mount Lindsay”.

Watarru Community is situated approximately 550 kms south-west of Alice Springs. Watarru is situated at the foot of Mount Lindsay, in the Great Victoria Desert. Watarru Community is situated within the Watarru Indigenous Protected Area, which as of June 2001 was the largest sized Declared Indigenous Protected Area (12,800 km2, declared 1 September 2000).

Annual rainfall averages 284.2 millimetres.

Watarru Community’s population was 56 people according to the 2001 Census, with 82.1% of those being Indigenous Australians.

The power station was constructed to cater for a fluctuating population of between 30 and 90 people.

The residents are mainly Anangu people.