Yulara, Northern Territory

Yulara Northern Territory
Yulara from helicopter in August 2004
Yulara
Coordinates	25°12′25″S130°58′16″E / 25.2069°S 130.971°E /-25.2069; 130.971[1]
Population	853 (2021 census)[2]
• Density	8.20/km2(21.24/sq mi)
Established	10 August 1976 (town) 4 April 2007 (locality)[3][4]
Postcode(s)	0872[5]
Elevation	492 m (1,614 ft)(airport)[6]
Area	104 km2(40.2 sq mi)[3]
Time zone	ACST(UTC+9:30)
Location	1,421 km (883 mi) S ofDarwin City 428 km (266 mi) fromAlice Springs 18 km (11 mi) fromUluru
LGA(s)	Yulara – Ayers Rock Resort[7]
Territory electorate(s)	Gwoja
Federal division(s)	Lingiari[8]
Mean max temp[6] Mean min temp[6] Annual rainfall[6] 30.0 °C 86 °F 14.0 °C 57 °F 285.2 mm 11.2 in
Localities around Yulara: Petermann Petermann Petermann Petermann Yulara Petermann Petermann Petermann Petermann
Footnotes	Locations[5][9] Adjoining localities[10]

Yularais a town in the southern region of theNorthern Territory,Australia. It lies as anunincorporatedenclavewithinMacDonnell Region. At the2016 census, Yulara had a permanent population of 1,099,^[2]in an area of 103.33 square kilometres (39.90 sq mi). It is 18 kilometres (11 mi) by road fromWorld Heritage SiteUluru(Ayers Rock) and 55 kilometres (34 mi) fromKata Tjuta(the Olgas). It is located in the Northern Territory electorate ofGwojaand the federal electorate ofLingiari.

By the early 1970s, the pressure of unstructured and unmonitored tourism, including motels near the base of Uluru (Ayers Rock), was having detrimental effects on the environment surrounding both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Following the recommendation of aSenateSelect Committee to remove all developments near the base of the rock and build a new resort to support tourism in theUluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, theCommonwealth Governmentagreed in 1973 to relocate accommodation facilities to a new site outside the park. On 10 August 1976, theGovernor Generalproclaimed the new town of Yulara, some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Uluru.^[3]

After the Northern Territory was granted Self Government in 1978, the development of the new town became a major priority of the Northern Territory Government. Between 1978 and 1981, basic infrastructure (roads, water supply etc.) was built via the government's capital works program. In 1980 the government set up the Yulara Development Company Ltd to develop tourist accommodation, staff housing and a shopping centre. The first stage of the resort was built between 1982 and 1984 for the Northern Territory Government by Yulara Development Company Ltd., at a cost of A$130 million. The resort was designed byPhilip Cox & Associatesand won theRoyal Australian Institute of Architects(RAIA)Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecturein 1985. It later won theNorthern Territory Award for Enduring Architectureand theNational Award for Enduring Architecturein 2019.^[11][12]

When the new facilities became fully operational in late 1984, the Commonwealth Government terminated all leases for the old motels near the Rock, and the area was rehabilitated by the National Park Service (now calledParks Australia). Around the same time, the national park was renamed Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa, and its ownership was transferred to the local Indigenous people, who leased it back to the Parks Australia for 99 years.

There were originally three competing hotels, but that detracted from the viability of the enterprise, and the company (and indirectly the government) incurred massive operating losses. Between 1990 and 1992, the competing hotel operators were replaced by a single operator, the government-owned Investnorth Management Pty Ltd. In 1992, the government sold, through open tender, a 40% interest in the Yulara Development Company and, therefore, the resort, to a venture capital consortium.

In 1997, the entire resort was again sold by open tender toGeneral Property Trust, which appointedVoyages Hotels & Resortsas operator. Voyages operated all aspects of the resort, with the exception of the post office (Australia Post). Almost all residents of the town rented their housing from Voyages, but the government leased some housing for its employees. Most residents are either workers in the resort or tour operators. In 2011, the resort was sold again to theIndigenous Land Corporationwhich operates the resort under its subsidiary, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia.^[13][14]

The2016 Australian censusfound that Yulara had a population of 1,099 people which had the following characteristics:^[2]

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 14.2% of the population.
• 52.8% of people were born in Australia and 62.6% of people spoke only English at home.
• The most common response for religion was "No Religion" at 38.4%.

TheConnellan Airportmakes it possible to reach Yulara in less time fromSydney,Melbourne,Alice Springs,Cairns,AdelaideorDarwincompared to five hours by car fromAlice Springs, the nearest major town, 428 kilometres (266 mi) northeast.^[9]

The resort is served by one major road, theLasseter Highway, which links it to surrounding roads and landmarks. The Lasseter Highway is currently and until 2022^[15]being expanded in the area to help with the tourism traffic flow. The sealed Lasseter Highway extends east to meet theStuart Highway. The roads in other directions are not so well maintained or travelled.^[9]TheGreat Central Roadleads west and southwest intoWestern Australia, but is generally only suitable for high clearancefour-wheel drivevehicles. Transit permits fromAboriginal Land Councilsare required to travel west of Kata-Tjuta.^[16]

Yulara has a dry andarid climate(BWh) with long hot summers and short, cool winters, and with scant rainfall year-round. Frost may occur occasionally in some winter mornings.^[17]

• National Indigenous Training Academy

• Satellite image from Google Maps
• Nyangatjatjara College, Yulara