Yuendumu is located approximately 280km north west of Alice Springs. This post includes a brief overview of aboriginal and european occupation, conflicts and difficulties faced by the people who lived in the area. Yuendumu settlement operated a pastoral activity and attempted to establish a meat processing facility to support the local community.
Current Operation
- Closed
Location
- Yuendumu is approximately 300km north west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory
- Abattoir facility itself was located about 20km out of the township
Owner
- NPC1
Operation
- Slaughterhouse was established 1990 to supply meat to local community and income to the cattle operation of NPC.
Acronyms
- ADC Aboriginal Development Commission
- ATSIC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
- BTEC Brucelloisis Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign
- CAAPA Central Australian Aboriginal Pastoralist Association
- DAA Department of Aboriginal Affairs
- DEET Department of Employment, Education and Training
- DEIR Department of Employment and Industrial relations
- IAD Institute for Aboriginal Development
- NPC Ngarliyikirlangu Pastoral Company
History
Pre 1800’s
- Yuendumu is situated on Ngalia Warlpiri country (Pg 246)
- Evidence supports that continuous occupation has occured for 10,000 years (Pg 246)
- Main land owning group is Walpiri (Pg 248)
- People moved extensively for hunting and gathering, withdrew to core areas of importance at watering points in dry periods and extended over very large areas in better seasons.(Pg 249)
- Walpiri maintained close relationships with other clans to north, east – Kurinji and Anmatyerre, Pitjantjatjara and Pintubi (Pg 249)
- Walpiri discriminated against Arrernte tribes.(Pg 249)
1873
- Warburton expedition crossed the Tanami and came into contact with Warlpiri people (Pg 250)
1890’s
- Commencement of pastoral settlement increased contact with aboriginal people (pg 250)
1900’s
- Granite goldfields commenced, a series of wells were established between Granites and Hooker Creek (Pg 250)
- relationships not always cordial with aborigines.(pg 250)
1914
- Gold reserves had petered out (Pg 250)
1920
- Pastoral lease uptake increased to the north and far west (Pg 251)
- Conflict with aborigines increased (Pg 251)
1928
- Coniston massacre occurs (Pg 251)
- 28 Warlpiri die as a result of an avenge attack by police and pastoralists in retaliation of the death of a non-aboriginal dingo hunter.(Pg 251)
1932
- More gold is discovered at the Granites. (Pg 251)
- Several pastoralists open up mining ventures for wolfram and gemstones.(Pg 251)
1940’s
- Reports of Aboriginal peoples state of living in the Tanami region build pressure to establish an Aboriginal reserve in the area.(Pg 251)
- Reverend of Baptist union wanted resumption of whole of Mt Doreen station lease.
- lengthy negotiations, interrupted by WWII
1946
- Yuendumu reserve 2,200 km square was established (though not declared until 1956) (Pg 256)
- Area was selected because a bore had established permanent water (Pg 256)
- land was in immediate vicinity to a bore on unoccupied crown land (Pg 256)
- Country not particulary suited to cattle (Pg 256)
- Later 137 sq miles was transferred from reserve to Mt Allan pastoral lease (Pg 252)
- Yuendumu welfare settlement was established.
- to settle nomadic Aboriginal groups under the Aboriginal affairs policy of assimilation (Pg 252)
- to provide social welfare of Aboriginal people, train them in non-aboriginal skills so they may be assimilated into non-Aboriginal society (pg 252)
- Policy objectives was training and employment for work within and outside the settlement (Pg 252)
- Also to provide administration, health, education and general development functions
- Cattle project was included with (pg 252)
- garden (vegetable growing)
- piggery
- poultry
- Aim to increase self sufficency
- Cattle enterprise started with 200 head (Pg 254)
- Initial population 400 people (pg 252)
1960’s
- Population now over 1,000 people (pg 253)
1967
- Rations and cash allowance replaced by Training allowance Scheme (pg 255)
- Scheme – in lowest form, was less than dole
- Scheme – in highest level paid less than award wages
- Settlement residents received free basic health service, education and subsidised meals from communal kitchens
- Some residents received free rudimentary housing
1970
- NT Social Welfare Branch annual report state there is (Pg253)
- well established garden
- bakery
- store
- mining company
- housing association and a school council
1972
- Settlement was under administrative control of NT Social Welfare Branch (Pg 253)
- Superintendent on advice from village council
- Village council were representative body of all skin groups living in Yuendumu
- Labour government election announce Aboriginal affairs policy of self-determination (Pg 253)
- beginning of major structural changes in administration and development
- Moves made to incorporate the cattle project as a pastoral company (pg 253)
- Cattle herd now 3,500 head
- Particularly good grass seasons 1967-1972 (Pg 255)
- Further growth was limited by lack of reliable water sources
- at this time only had 2 reliable bores and 1 dam for the entire herd
- Management had varying degrees of pastoral industry expertise
- Income from cattle sales was not paid to community but into Consolidated revenue(Pg 254)
- lack of incentrve to sell cattle, meant very low turnoff of animals (Pg 255)
- Expenses were paid from cash and rations under Settlements administration therefore not reliant on cattle project (Pg 254)
- Capital development for all projects was reliant on annual budget priorities.
- Funding priorities depended on Canberra / Darwin
- Cattle project goal was to maximise employment, train men in pastoral skills and provide fresh meat to the community (Pg 255)
- Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA) was primary employer of all people (Pg 267)
1974
- Crash of beef prices. No cattle turned off during the period 1972-75.(Pg 257)
- Only killers for kitchen, averaged 2 per week (Pg 258)
- Seasons had been very good 72/73 – meant herd numbers built rapidly (Pg 258)
1977
- Privatisation occured of some activities that previously had been under control of the Social Welfare divisions (Pg 130)
- Bakery, garden, poultry farm and kitchen had ceased operation by this time.(Pg130)
- Muster was conducted of Yuendumu and neighbouring property, Haasts Bluff. 850 prime bullocks sold when trucked to Adelaide. Gross return of $720,000, None of the funds went to the cattle enterprise (Pg 260)
- Yuendumu is declared Aboriginal land under the Aboriginal land rights Act 1977 (Pg 262)
- NPC couldn’t access mainstream rural finance (Pg 262)
- Authors note – When Aboriginal land is alienated freehold it is not able to be sold. It can’t held as security for loans, therefore can’t be used as security for debt repayment.
- NPC couldn’t access mainstream rural finance (Pg 262)
1978
- Annual cost of training allowance for cattle enterprise $80,000 (Pg 255)
- Trucking and drafting yards were gradully built from scrap steel from government dumps (Pg 266)
- NPC employed 12 stockmen (Pg 265)
- high levels of employment numbers were maintained through cattle sales, labour programs and funding.
1979
- Ngarliyikirlangu Pastoral Company (NPC) is formed (Pg 259)
- 6 directors with 60 shareholders
- All government assets were sold except the cattle (Pg 260)
- NPC commenced operations with a tractor, trailer and approximately 3500 head of cattle.(Pg 261)
- Enterprise grant was applied for – $55,000 79/80 (Pg 261)
- Stock mortgage was raised $20,000 (Pg261)
- Stockmans wages were to be paid from cattle sales.(Pg 261)
- BTEC begins (pg 261)
- Significant tension arose as company directors of NPC used vehicles for personal use (Pg 263)
- highlighted critical tension – rights of the land owner over an enterprise taking place upon his and other descent group lands (Pg 263)
- Cattle sale money was thought it should be split between directors and shareholders
- misunderstood the link between income and costs – owners thought “funny business going on” (Pg 263)
- community people were taking killers without payment to the company (Pg 264)
1980
- NPC employed 20 stockmen (Pg 265)
1981
- Cattle enterprise was (Pg 266)
- bantail mustering
- culling old stock
- testing and ear tagging young stock (BTEC)
- developing internal paddocks
- improving monitoring of waters
- regularly testing for disease free status
- NPC was one of the few aboriginal properties to not be issued with compulsory destocking order (pg 266)
1981/82
- IAD began to advise on property development (Pg 266)
1983
- Feasibility study concluded that the property had insufficent waters to develop herd to 5,000 – 6,000 head.(Pg 266)
- Alternative development options were suggested.
- Develop herd to 5,600 head.
- establish more bores, paddocks and yards, estimated to cost $283,000
- build a community abattoir and a butcher shop, estimated to cost $21,500
- restocking and operational costs estimated to cost $355,000
- NPC felt it was in a positition to be commercially viable and achieve its development aims (Pg 269)
- DAA was subumed to private and public organisations. (Pg 267)
- now eleven organisations employing 73 Aboriginal people
- created confusion, political rivalry and conflict in Yuendumu
- Number of outstations were being established at Yuendumu (Pg 268)
- Negotiations commenced over royalities relating to goldfields in Tanami (Pg 268)
- Directors began to take less interest in cattle operations (Pg 273)
- Advisory service of IAD was withdrawn and as funding was based on IAD feasibiltys study funding was withheld.(Pg 270)
- Significant conflict in the community 1983 – 1996 major disputes as to the role of the council and local governement (Pg 276)
1985
- Central Australian Advisory Pastoralist Association (CAAPA) was formed (Pg 270)
- acted as lobbyist for Central Australian Pastoralists
- Limited property development advice
- no accounting or training services provided
- accepted IAD study
- NPC applied for development funds $706,000, over 5 years.
- Application was unsuccessful based on land capacity (Pg 271)
1985/86
- NPC received a capital grant of $37608. (Pg 271)
- DEIR continue support through community employment program (Pg 271)
- enables 19 full time and 24 casual employees to be maintained.
1986
- Concerns raised by Central Land Council as to Yuenduma land resource ability to support a herd of 5,600 head (Pg 269)
- CLC calculated a safe stocking rate of 1,000 – 1,500 head (Pg 269)
- NPC access to funding was now been seriously affected (Pg 269)
1988 / 89
- CAAPA management was being questioned (Pg 274)
- questionable individual grants to cattle stations
- Alledged funds allocated to NPC were used by a CAAPA employee to purchase personal paintings (Pg 274)
- Audit could not account for $70,000
- CAAPA was investigated, wound up and no further action was taken by ATSIC
1990’s
- Hawke-Keating Governments introduced form of local government called community government
- This had been opposed by land councils – come leadership became more focused on structure of community organisations and less on delivery of service issues.(Pg 170)
- Result was that community operated cattle stations depended on who from their families was represented in community councils (Pg170)
- Allies of the cattle company – Ngarliyikirlangu were on council – in kind support of bulldozers and graders was available for dam building (Pg170)
- when council had people not interested in cattle operation there was no support for it.(Pg170)
- Proliferation of Commonwealth and NT agencies serving communities (Pg171)
- singnificant lack of co-ordination between them (Pg171)
- An aboriginal community pursuing pastoral activities to attempt to conduct a whole of property development program needed to consult and negotiate with 4-5 Commonwealth and NT agencies. (Pg 171)
Source – Black Pastoralism S Phillpot 2000 (Pg 172)
Agencies consulting with Aboriginal communities
- All employment funding is withdrawn (Pg 271)
- reason of withdrawal – funding is meant to be directed at economically viable projects (Pg 271)
- Ministers letter to NPC advise that $1.2M has been invested over last 10 years (Pg 271)
- NPC dispute and say it was only $670,000 (Pg 271)
1990
- Employment is reduced to only 1 employee plus manager (pg 275)
- Abattoir is developed (Pg 272)
- Licensed slaughterhouse built from a grant from ATSIC and training subsidies from DEET (Pg 276)
- Over first 14 months of operations employs 4 different trainers (pg 272)
- no aboriginal trainees were able to complete training programs in meat processing (pg 272)
- 1993-1996 no training is conducted (pg 272)
- Abattoir operation(Pg 276)
- became a major cash flow for NPC
- was difficulty in employing qualified butchers to train Warlpiri butchers
- slaughterhouse was not well maintained
1993
- Manager was unemployed by NPC, continued to run the operation while on unemployment benefits (pg 275)
- Herd numbers to now below 3,000 head (Pg 275)
1994 / 95
- Beef prices collapse.(Pg 273)
- NPC can’t turn off enough cattle to cover interest on debts
1996
- Department Primary industries advised that facility didn’t meet the new Australian Quarantine Inspection service standards (Pg 276)
- NPC is currently unviable, Owes Yuenduma Mining Company $150,000, secured by 1,500 head of cattle. (Pg 281)
- Throughout its operation 1972 – 1996 NPC never made a profit or achieved economic viability (Pg 282)
1997
- 1st January – slaughterhouse lost its licence (Pg 276)
- Possible if the slaughterhouse had been successfully operated it would have enabled NPC to achieve a profit (Pg 282)
- NPC business effectively was only sustained by the benevolence of its major creditor – Yuendumu Mining Company (Pg 276)
Sources
All references –
Black Pastoralism – Contemporary Aboriginal Land Use – The experience of Aboriginal owned pastoral enterprises in the Northern Territory – 1972 – 1996 Stuart Phillpot. 2000.
