Alice Springs Town Council has marked an important milestone in its reconciliation journey, officially renaming internal meeting rooms to reflect iconic animals of Central Australia and honour the cultural significance they hold for Arrernte people.
The idea came from Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group as a way to deepen cultural understanding within Council and embed respect for Aboriginal culture into everyday spaces and practices.
Speaking at the renaming event, Council CEO, Andrew Wilsmore said the change is a step forward in the organisation’s Reconciliation journey.
“The renaming of our meeting rooms is more than a symbolic gesture. It represents our commitment to respect, understanding and unity within our community,” Mr Wilsmore said.
“These names reflect stories and histories that are deeply rooted in Arrernte culture.”
The animals chosen for the room names are significant to Central Arrernte people, some featuring in Dreamtime stories. The names are:
- Aherre (Red Kangaroo)
- Arleye (Emu)
- Yerrampe (Honey Ant)
- Atywenpe (Perentie)
- Irretye (Wedge-Tailed Eagle)
- Artnwere (Dingo)
- Unyerre (Thorny Devil)
Each meeting room will feature a QR code that will take users to an online Indigenous pronunciation guide, developed in conjunction with Lhere Artepe.
Council also acknowledged the contributions of the Reconciliation Working Group, whose dedication led to the successful completion of Council’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Council is now preparing to design an Innovate RAP.
