Mimili Anangu School closes amid escalating violence in APY Lands community between warring families

Escalating violence between warring families in an APY Lands community has forced a school to shut down amid “chaos”.

An APY Lands school has shut down in the final week of term amid escalating violence and unrest between warring families.

Teachers left the Mimili Anangu School last week after a violent brawl which saw rocks thrown at houses and iron bars and bats used as weapons.

The teachers were scheduled to leave the school this Wednesday – two days before the end of term 3 – but left town five days early due to safety concerns.

“Every one of them left on Friday,” Mimili resident Maria Campbell told The Advertiser.

The school has not opened this week.

The violent brawl on Thursday night was the latest incident in a feud between warring families in the community, which is home to about 300 people.

Ms Campbell said the violence was occurring between two separate families and had been a longstanding feud.

Ms Campbell said during the brawl, which lasted several hours, a car was driven into another car parked on the street.

The Mimili Anangu School has closed amid escalating violence and unrest between two warring families. Picture: Simon Cross

“It’s never going to stop,” she said.

“It’s not safe.”

Ms Campbell said the violent brawls were breaking out day and night without warning.

“You really don’t know when it will happen,” she said.

“It could be a weekday or on a weekend.”

Ms Campbell’s aunt and APY executive board member Julieanne Campbell, who is the female member for Mimili, said the violence in the community was “chaos”.

“Our elders are scared,” Ms Campbell said.

“It gets worse every day.”

Ms Campbell said the violence had spread to the nearby community of Fregon, with concerns alcohol being illegally smuggled into the APY Lands was contributing to the warring.

An Education Department spokeswoman said the school had been closed “following unrest in the Mimili community”.

“All staff were offered the opportunity to travel to Adelaide to participate in professional learning and wellbeing sessions, however some of the school’s Anangu Educators chose to remain in the community and are monitoring student wellbeing,” she said.

“Eight other staff, including the school principal, did travel to Adelaide and have been provided with a range of support.”

APY Lands general manager Richard King said the violence in Mimili had been “escalating” for a number of months.

The spokeswoman said no other department schools in the APY Lands had closed early.

APY general manager Richard King said he had not spoken with staff at the school but was aware teachers had left Mimili after the incident last week.

“It can be pretty disconcerting,” Mr King said.

“If you haven’t been exposed to that it can be pretty disconcerting.

“It’s not an easy area to work.”

Mr King said violence in Mimili had been “escalating” for the past few months.

“You have community fighting on and off,” he said.

“It’s not just this incident it’s all the other ones.

“It’s a cyclical thing.

“It does happen.”

An SA Police spokesman said police had responded to an “isolated” incident last week.

“With the assistance of community members the unrest was quickly resolved,” he said.