Uluru is shut. You cannot climb the Rock.
That is of about 1 hour ago. I want to go to
the Labor Senator for the Northern Territory, Malarndirri McCarthy
Appreciate your time on Perth Live. Good afternoon
Hey Olile. Hello to you and all your listeners,
What have the scenes been like around Uluru today Malarndirri
because all the pictures that have been on our TV
screens have been huge queues.
Well they're pretty amazing from what I'm hearing as well. I'm actually still in
transit from Canberra but getting lots and lots of photographs
coming through from family members there, my son's there
And lots of information.
So it's quite full on, quite hectic and
clearly the Anangu are also getting ready for the
ceremony on Sunday.
I'm on my way up there yeah.
Opinions are divided Malarndirri about whether or not
we should have closed Uluru to thegeneral public
What is your opinion on this?
Well look, today is a pretty significant day
Ollie, I was only a teenage girl when the
Uluru was handed back to the Anangu
and that was an amazing time in history
And to know that they've been asking all this time
for people to be just aware that
it is sacred, it is special but in the last
decade it became
also just environmentally there were just issues in the Rock
And the amount of people getting hurt
was of considerable concern for the local Traditional Owners
So I'm please for them that the
plan they had put in place
almost a decade ago has now come to fruition
and naturally it's going to be an important time
there this weekend. And i can certainly tell you more after
the weekend as well.
Well I was in Uluru myself a couple of years ago. I told out listeners yesterday afternoon Malarndirri
that I was actually unaware you still could climb the rock
I thought that we couldn't climb the Rock. Obviously there's been a lot of
publicity over the last six months or so with the
closure date now upon us. But i actually had
no desire when I was there in Uluru. In fact we spent hours
and hours walking around the Rock and just enjoyed and embraced
exactly what we saw. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I didnt need to climb it.
Aw bless ya.
That's lovely to hear. I think what maybe
people may have got confused with is that
Anangu have asked if people could not
climb but they never made it compulsory not to climb.
They just had a sign at the base of the Rock just saying
Hey if you can be respectful of us
And so that may be what people got confused with
But it's certainly been available
to climb right up until today and as you
said in your opening, it is now offically closed.
And that would be it. You couldn't see that there would be any reversal
on that decision somehwere down the track? Do you think that we now
just get on with it? You can still visit Uluru of course
it's a fabulous place. You know go out, as I said, and walk around, it's lovely.
Tell your listeners, they've got to go there. It is one of the most
spiritual places I've certainly ever been and
and you can't help but be touched. You don't have to be Aboriginal to
to be touched by the spirituality, let me tell you.
And it's just incredible, and I just say to all your listeners
please go, because they've put so much
effort into all other things you know the camel rides
segues, the walks
certainly the Field of Lights which is magnificent.
Unbelievable!
Oh you've been, of course, you would have seen it when you were there!
As I say, that was actually our motivation to
go to Uluru was for the Field of Lights and as you say
the feeling and the
spiritual messages that the entire
area of Uluru emcompasses I think all Australians
if you get the opportunity to go there you will certainly appreciate
a lot more about our wonderful country.
Totally! And it's an extraordinary place
so please go, and I think too that
just the landscape Ollie, you know it's just
incredible and it wonderful to be a part of Australia when
you see that place.
Malarndirri McCarthy, I hope you enjoy the festivities and the commemorations over the weekend
Thank you for talking to us this afternoon.
No worries Ollie, keep in touch.