Uluru - A Special Rock
Transcript
Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Bruce Gulland.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier
for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
This is a story that Australia’s native people tell:
Voice 3
Many years ago, the earth was very different. There were no mountains or hills. There
was no sea. Then, life came suddenly. These were the ancestors. They were spirits in the
form of animals, plants, and people. The ancestors travelled across the earth. Because of
them, the seas filled with water. Where they stepped, hills and mountains appeared. One
of these mountains grew in the middle of the desert. Many of the ancestors lived on this
mountain. The local people were called the Anangu. They discovered the place and
lived by it too. Today, they call this special place Uluru.
Voice 1
Today’s spotlight is on this special place, Uluru.
Voice 2
What you have just heard is a story about the beginning of the world told by the Anangu
people. The Anangu are one of Australia’s native people. They have lived in Australia
for almost 65,000 years. The land is very important to the Anangu. It is filled with their
history. They even talk about the land as if it were a person. They call it “my
grandmother” or “my grandfather”. For the Anangu, the place they live is not just a
place. It is a part of who they are.
Voice 1
Uluru is one of the most important places for the Anangu. It is a huge sandstone rock in
the middle of a flat desert. From the ground to the top, it is 348 meters high. And it is
9.4 kilometres around. There are no other rocks or mountains around it. It has a dark red
colour. But when the sun shines on Uluru, the rock seems to change color. It is beautiful
to see. It may even seem like magic. The Anangu believe Uluru is sacred, or holy. For
them, it shows how the world was created. And it is a part of their beliefs.
Voice 2
But Uluru is not just important to the Anangu. In the 1600’s European settlers sailed to
Australia. After a long time, they found Uluru. They did not know about the Anangu
people. And they did not understand the Anangu religion. The Europeans believed
Uluru was just another very beautiful place. Over time, European settlers conquered
Australia. They called Uluru by a different name. They called it Ayers Rock. And many
of them came to the place so that they could see it.
Voice 1
In 1936, people began traveling to Uluru to see it. They were tourists. Many of these
people wanted to climb the rock. At this time, Uluru was in a National Park. And
climbing it became part of visiting. Many Australians were very proud of Uluru. It was
one of the most well-known places in their country. It became one of Australia’s
national symbols. It was an example of what made their country beautiful and special.
Voice 2
But watching tourists climb Uluru was painful for the Anangu. By Australian law the
Anangu did not own the land. But they still believed in their own law. When tourists
came to climb Uluru, they were walking on places special to the Anangu. In a way, the
tourists were even breaking Anangu law. And tourists were destroying part of the rock!
Pamela Taylor is an Anangu leader. She told the BBC,
Voice 4
“Tourists are like insects, like ants. They climb up and down every day. Their shoes are
scraping away at the rock, little by little. The path is now clear from far away. It was not
supposed to be like that.”
Voice 1
For many years, the Anangu asked people not to climb Uluru. They put signs at the
bottom of the rock to tell tourists why it was important. But people continued to climb.
Finally, the Anangu decided that their law should govern Uluru. It was too important to
them. The Anangu talked with the Australian Government. They wanted their land
back. In 1985, they received their land. But they agreed to manage the land with the
government.
Voice 2
But the Anangu also wanted to stop people climbing Uluru. The Government did not
know what to do. Many people did not want to stop the climbing on the rock. And
tourism brought in a lot of money. Some people believed The Anangu could even
benefit. Maria Billias is a reporter for Northern Territory News. She writes that it is
difficult to make money in that area. She says,
Voice 5
“Creating jobs for the Anangu can only be positive. It would bring a lot of money to
people who need it. We could address safety issues from the climb. And we could
employ more guides so that people obey Anangu law. I can only see a chance to make a
lot of money that we should explore.”
Voice 1
But the Anangu believe closing the climb will not drive people away. They say it will
make Uluru more interesting. They plan to teach people about their culture. They want
to tell tourists stories about Uluru. Sammy Willson is the board chairman of the Uluṟu-
Kata Tjuṯa National Park. He told “The Conversation”
Voice 6
“Visitors do not need to worry that there will be nothing for them with the climb closed.
There is so much else in the culture here. We have a lot to offer in this country. There
are so many other smaller places that are culturally interesting that we can share. Instead
of feeling disappointed, tourists can experience the place with the Anangu. They can
enjoy that they learned so much about our culture.”
Voice 2
And telling people about their culture has done a lot for the Anangu. The Anangu could
not close the Uluru climb at first. But they began telling people about their culture. And
this started to change people’s minds. Tourists began to respect the Anangu. And they
stopped climbing Uluru when asked. Then in 2017, the Anangu asked to close Uluru
again. They argued powerfully for their rights. Many other people joined the Anangu.
And this time the National Park where Uluru sits agreed. The decision made some
people angry. But Uluru closed the climb in 2019.
Voice 1
Do you think it was right to close Uluru to climbing? Or do places like this belong to
everyone? You can leave a comment on our website. Or email us at
radio@[Link]. You can also comment on Facebook at
[Link]/spotlightradio.
Voice 2
The writer of this program was Dan Christmann. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The
voices you heard were from the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand.
All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this
program again, and read it, on the internet at [Link]. This program is
called, “Uluru - A Special Rock”.
Voice 1
Visit our website to download our free app for Android or Apple devices. We hope you
can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.
Question:
Are there stories about the land in your culture?
