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Celebrating the Kintore ranger hub opening

3 minute read

Walungurru Rangers celebrated the opening of the ranger hub with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Based in the Kintore community, the Walungurru Rangers celebrated a big milestone for their team this month: the opening of their new ranger hub – a purpose-built base for the rangers. The hub includes a large shed with a workshop and storage space, an office and kitchen, accommodation for visiting ranger groups and contractors, a toilet and shower block, and shaded outdoor meeting and barbecue areas.

Walungurru ranger Michael Wheeler is excited about the new facility and how it will help him and the team with their work.

"We used to work from an old tiny shed ... It makes me happy to have a proper big shed to work from here, fixing ranger cars..."

Michael Wheeler, Walungurru Ranger
The office, kitchen and meeting space; and the large shed with workshop.

Although the Walungurru Rangers only started in 2019, their story began long before that. Looking after country is an important part of keeping culture and community alive, and the people of Kintore have been working toward having their own ranger team for a long time.

Before the ranger team became official, the Pintupi Homelands Health Service supported ranger work as a way to encourage community health. Working with the Central Land Council, they supported Kintore residents getting out on country by organising field trips on the Haasts Bluff Aboriginal Land Trust to look after rockholes, visit significant sites where elders shared stories and songs with young fellas, and organising family fire trips.

With a dedicated ranger base ready for use, the rangers want to continue doing more work, and growing their team, bringing in young fellas.

Adam Gibson, front, performs a dance to celebrate the opening of the hub.

"Young people can become rangers and learn from me. Take them out bush, show them the Tjukurrpa out there."

Michael Wheeler, Walungurru Ranger

The Central Land Council led the construction of the ranger hub, and its chief executive, Les Turner, believes purpose-built ranger hubs are important for Indigenous ranger teams to look after country.

"For CLC ranger groups, [the Kintore ranger hub] is the jewel in the crown where we can look after country, rockholes, protect the land from weeds and feral animals. It's a very important day and we're so proud of it, and we'll make sure we grow the ranger program so we can look after country."

Les Turner, Central Land Council CEO

Central Land Council

Central Land Council, based in Alice Springs, manages a ranger network across Central Australia.

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Central Land Council Ranger Teams
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