Lajamanu

History

Lajamanu was established in 1949, on the site of the former Hooker Creek station. The government moved Walpiri people from Yuendumu, only succeeding on the fourth attempt, after people had simply walked back their own communities on the first three attempts. In the 1950s it was known as the Hooker Creek Native Settlement. There was a village council in the 1960s (possibly earlier). In 1970, a council of twelve men was elected, including Maurice Jupurrurla Luther , who had been taken to Hooker Creek from Yuendumu in 1958. In 1976 he was appointed to a committee of four people to inquire into the role of the National Aboriginal Consultative Committee. After the Gurindji strike and handover of Wattie Creek to the Gurindji people by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, Luther was an important figure in negotiations to allow the Warlpiri people to continue living at Lajamanu, the Gurindji being the traditional owners of the area. He also played a large part in the decision to rename the place Lajamanu, which is derived from a nearby Gurindji place name.

Geography

Lajamanu is located close to the centre of Australia, which has a hot, dry climate. In February 2010 and February 2023, media outlets reported that hundreds of live spangled perch (Leiopotherapon unicolor) rained down upon the town. However, this species has exceptionally good dispersal abilities and can migrate via overland flow, leading to its being commonly found scattered on the ground following heavy rain and mistaken reports of having fallen from the sky.

Most-observed species

• Zebra Finch

  Taeniopygia guttata (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  24
• Black Kite

  Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  24
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  23
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  22
• Brown Honeyeater

  Lichmera indistincta (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827) · Aves
  18
• Peaceful Dove

  Geopelia placida Gould, 1844 · Aves
  17
• Black-faced Cuckooshrike

  Coracina novaehollandiae (Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  16
• Gray-fronted Honeyeater

  Ptilotula plumula (Gould, 1841) · Aves
  16