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Musgrave Ranges

geography Maturity 5-7 Next article →

The Musgrave Ranges are a large mountain range. They sit in the center of Australia. These mountains cross many different borders. They span South Australia and the Northern Territory. They also reach into Western Australia. The range sits between two big deserts. The Great Victoria Desert is to the south. The Gibson Desert lies to the north.

Many peaks in these mountains are very high. Some peaks rise more than 1,000 meters. The highest peak is named Ngarutjaranya. It reaches a height of 1,100 meters. The landscape is a mix of high ground and desert. It is a very special part of the Australian land. These mountains shape the look of the central region.

Indigenous people have lived here for a long time. The Yankunytjatjara people were the first inhabitants. At the start of the 1900s, things began to change. The Yankunytjatjara people started moving east. At the same time, Pitjantjatjara groups moved in from the west. An English explorer named William Gosse visited in the 1870s. He named the mountains after Anthony Musgrave. Anthony Musgrave was the Governor of South Australia.

Today, many families live in nearby communities. These places are called Amata and Kaltjiti. Most people in these towns are Pitjantjatjara. In 1981, a big law was passed. It was the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act. This law gave land ownership to the Pitjantjatjara people. They now own the South Australian part of the range. This is a very important historic decision.

There are many things hidden under the ground here. Companies want to look for minerals in the area. They might find gold or silver there. They may also find copper, uranium, or platinum. Some people think there might even be oil. Pitjantjatjara Elders want to create new jobs. They want to find ways to help their people work. This is a way to build a bright future.

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