Haasts Bluff, also known as Ikuntji, is an Indigenous Australian community in Central Australia

Central Australia

Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...

, a region of the Northern Territory

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

. The community is located in the MacDonnell Shire

MacDonnell Shire

The MacDonnell Shire is a Local Government Area of the Northern Territory, Australia. The shire covers an area of 268,784.20 km² and has a estimated population of 7,142 people.-Geography:...

 local government area, 227 kilometres (141.1 mi) west of Alice Springs

Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...

. At the 2006 census

Census in Australia

The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...

, the community, including outstation

Outstation

Historically, an outstation was a subsidiary homestead or other dwelling, on Australian sheep or cattle stations which were large enough to have more than a day's travel between different parts of the property....

s, had a population of 207.

The Haasts Bluff community takes its name from the nearby outcrop, given this name in 1872 by the explorer Ernest Giles

Ernest Giles

William Ernest Powell Giles , best known as Ernest Giles, was an Australian explorer who led three major expeditions in central Australia.- Early life :...

, after the New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 geologist

Geologist

A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...

, Julius von Haast

Julius von Haast

Sir Johann Franz "Julius" von Haast was a German geologist. He founded Canterbury Museum at Christchurch.-Biography:...

.

The locality was established as a Lutheran mission

Mission (Christian)

Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...

 in 1946 and is home to Western Arrernte

Arrernte people

The Arrernte people , known in English as the Aranda or Arunta, are those Indigenous Australians who are the original custodians of Arrernte lands in the central area of Australia around Mparntwe or Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Arrernte tribe has lived there for more than 20,000 years...

, Pintupi

Pintupi

Pintupi refers to an Australian Aboriginal group who are part of the Western Desert cultural group and whose homeland is in the area west of Lake MacDonald and Lake Mackay in Western Australia. These people moved into the Aboriginal communities of Papunya and Haasts Bluff in the west of the...

 and Pitjantjatjara people.

Notable people

A number of notable Indigenous artists

Contemporary Indigenous Australian art

Contemporary Indigenous Australian art is the modern art work produced by Indigenous Australians. It is generally regarded as beginning with a painting movement that started at Papunya, northwest of Alice Springs, Northern Territory in 1971, involving artists such as Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri...

 were born or raised at Haasts Bluff, including Makinti Napanangka

Makinti Napanangka

Makinti Napanangka was a Pintupi-speaking Indigenous Australian artist from Australia's Western Desert region...

, Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri

Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri

Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri was a Pintupi- and Luritja-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region, and sister of artist Molly Jugadai Napaltjarri...

, Tjunkiya Napaltjarri

Tjunkiya Napaltjarri

Tjunkiya Napaltjarri was a Pintupi-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region...

, Wintjiya Napaltjarri

Wintjiya Napaltjarri

Wintjiya Napaltjarri , and also known as Wintjia Napaltjarri No. 1, is a Pintupi-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region...

, Eileen Napaltjarri

Eileen Napaltjarri

Eileen Napaltjarri is a Pintupi-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Eileen Napaltjarri, also known as Anyima Napaltjarri or Nanyuma Napaltjarri, began painting for Papunya Tula artists' cooperative in 1996...

, Nora Andy Napaltjarri

Nora Andy Napaltjarri

Nora Andy Napaltjarri is a Warlpiri– and Luritja–speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. like her mother Entalura Nangala, Nora has painted for Indigenous artists' cooperative Papunya Tula...

, Ada Andy Napaltjarri

Ada Andy Napaltjarri

Ada Andy Napaltjarri is a Warlpiri– and Luritja–speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Ada was born near Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory, and has lived in several Northern Territory communities...

, Ngoia Pollard Napaltjarri

Ngoia Pollard Napaltjarri

Ngoia Pollard Napaltjarri is a Walpiri-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Ngoia Pollard married Jack Tjampitjinpa, who became an artist working with the Papunya Tula company, and they had five children.Having commenced painting in 1997, Ngoia Pollard won a major...

, Molly Jugadai Napaltjarri

Molly Jugadai Napaltjarri

Molly Jugadai Napaltjarri is a Pintupi– and Luritja–speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Her paintings are held in major collections including the National Gallery of Australia.-Life:...

, Norah Nelson Napaljarri

Norah Nelson Napaljarri

Norah Nelson Napaljarri is a Warlpiri-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region. Norah Nelson began painting in 1986, and has exhibited her works both in Australia and other countries...

 and Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula

Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula

Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula was a Pintupi-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region...

.