Fact Sheet: Uluru

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Uluru is one of Australia’s most iconic landmarks. It is in the ‘Red Centre’ in the Northern Territory, Australia. Uluru is located in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, in the middle of a typical Australian landscape of red dirt, plants and animals.

​​Uluru

Uluru is one of the greatest rock formations in the world. It is 348 metres high and 9.4 kilometres wide. It is nearly as high as the Empire State Building! Uluru’s total area covers almost 3.33 square kilometres. Uluru is naturally comprised of sandstone. Its colour usually appears dusty red, but it can vary with the everchanging angle of the sunlight shining on it. This aspect makes Uluru a popular tourist site at dusk. Although Uluru’s surface is covered in crevices, caves and valleys, it is straight and smooth enough that, in the past, tourists attempted to climb to the top. However, this has since been banned out of respect for the local Indigenous Australians.

​Animals

Animals play a significant role in Aboriginal culture. Being in a national park, many native animals can be found near Uluru. Countless birds, reptiles and mammals call Uluru home. Examples are bats, frogs, kangaroos, wallabies, goannas, dingoes and emus. Perhaps one of the most common animals found at Uluru are red kangaroos or ‘malu’. The male red kangaroo grows to 1.6-2.4 metres high and weighs 22-85 kilos. The Anangu people hunt them for their meat to eat and skin to wear.

Indigenous Australians believe Uluru was created during the Dreaming. The Dreaming is the Aboriginal creation period, during which the spirits of the Aboriginal ancestors returned to earth to create the animals, land and relationships. Due to its size, several Dreaming stories tell the story of Uluru. Indigenous Australians. The deep ridges on the sides of Uluru were once tracks made by snake people as they went to and from the watering hole. The indented gutter-like ridges on the side of Uluru were once the beards of old men. Caves in the cliff face represent where the Kunia people camped and lived.

Dreamtime