Legendary Arrernte leader King Charlie may soon have statue in Alice Springs
The erecting of a rifle-bearing statue of Scottish explorer John McDouall Stuart in 2010 set off a powder keg in Alice Springs. Now, the council has taken the first step towards erecting an Arrernte counterpart.
Alice Springs
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A legendary Arrernte leader who is said to have greeted the first white settlers arriving at what would eventually become the township of Alice Springs may be commemorated with a statue, after the council agreed to begin the consultation and design process.
King Unchalka Irrapmwe, more commonly known as King Charlie, was the headman of the Alice Springs Arrernte in the later part of the 19th century.
According to Alice Springs Councillor Michael Liddle, King Charlie’s expert knowledge of Aboriginal lore saw him “control much of the land around Alice Springs – deciding who could and couldn’t enter Arrernte country through Heavitree Gap”.
“Indeed, when the first white settlers came to Mparntwe [Alice Springs], it has been recounted that they were greeted by King Charlie and other Aboriginal men at Honeymoon Gap,” Mr Liddle said.
“Approaching in the spirit of friendship, King Charlie offered water and showed the settlers the way to the Atherreyrre – a waterhole that would eventually be named the Alice Springs Waterhole, directly next to what would become the Alice Springs Telegraph Station.”
Mr Liddle said there were still a “large number” of King Charlie’s ancestors living locally, all of whom would “very much like to see the construction of a statue in Alice Springs, clearly commemorating the important and ongoing legacy of King Unchalka Irrapmwe”.
“It is noted that there are currently no statues of Arrernte people within Alice Springs,” he said.
Mr Liddle’s motion was carried, with council officers to now conduct a round of community consultation regarding the design and construction of a statue commemorating King Charlie.
The community consultation would inform a feasibility report to be presented to council at a future date.
Among those who have previously voiced their support for a statue commemorating King Charlie are Arrernte elder and artist Patricia Ansell Dodds, Deakin University ethnographer Dr Jason Gibson, and Arrernte researcher Joel Liddle Perrurle, co-founder of Indigemoji.
The movement for better recognition of significant Arrernte figures within Alice Springs has been bubbling away ever since a controversial statue of explorer John McDouall Stuart, after whom the Stuart Highway is named, was unveiled in 2010.
The statue, depicting the Scottish explorer holding a rifle, was commissioned by the local Freemasons Lodge to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Stuart reaching the township.
It spawned a vociferous history war, with those opposed arguing Stuart was a “murdering racist” and objecting to his depiction with a rifle, while those in favour argued he was a significant figure whose place in history could not be denied.
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