Utopia is an Aboriginal freehold property, approximately 250 km north east of Alice Springs. A former cattle station, it was sold back to the government in 1975 and handed back to the traditional owners – the Anmatyerre and Alyawarre people.
The Anmatyarre and Alyawarre people (their close relatives) live on outstations or camps on the western side of the Sandover River on Utopia. These include Atneltye (Boundary Bore), Lyentye (Mosquito Bore), Atnarare - (Soakage Bore), Arawerre (Soapy Bore), Irrweltyr, Ingkwelaye (Kurrajong Bore), Ahalpere Store, Ankerrapw (Utopia Homestead) and Artekerre (Three Bores, Camel Camp).
The name Utopia was attached to the region when European immigrants began settling the Northern Territory in the early 1920s.
In the early 1960s the Chalmers family bought the lease on a neighbouring property - Utopia - and ran it as a cattle station for a decade. In the early 70s the government bought it for the local communities from the Chalmers. It is now an Aboriginal freehold property and is home to some of Australia’s most successful artists. However it is no longer a working cattle station.
The traditional owners want Utopia to become a thriving viable cattle station once more and have come to a unique mutual arrangement with the Chalmers to re-create their country as a cattle station for their people.
Though Utopian Aboriginal Art, it is the intention of our family to reinvest a substantial proportion of the profit from the sale of this work (and of any work/future exhibitions) to assist the traditional Aboriginal land owners to re-establish part of Utopia as a cattle station. This means building a viable cattle herd and the infrastructure (fences, dams, bores etc) for this to occur and ensuring that cattle management skills are passed on to the younger men from the older men.
Aboriginal pastoralism and economic development is vital for the future livelihood of our community and we hope that you can support us in our aims.
Continue reading about the re-establishment of Utopia as a cattle station through the Utopia Project.
(Photo: Trucking cattle and the re-establishment of Utopia as a cattle station, © Eastern Desert Art)
Sonja Chalmers
Eastern Desert Art ABN: 79 722 554 907
Tel: (08) 8956 9433 (Australia wide) or +618 8956 9433 (international)
Fax: (08) 8956 9177 (Australia wide) or +618 8956 9177 (international)
» Email Utopian Aboriginal Art about this page
» Subscribe to Utopian Aboriginal Art's mailing list
Listed prices are $AUD exclusive of GST. Australian customers pay GST on listed price.
© 2009 Eastern Desert Art |
my account
shopping cart
privacy
terms
copyright
contact
sitemap
metis internet 