20m cross on Memory Mountain officially opens in remote NT
A 20m high cross a top a central Australian mountain officially opened on Good Friday. Read what nearby remote communities hope it will bring to the area.
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A long-awaited 20m tall Christian cross atop Memory Mountain, near Haasts Bluff about 200km from Alice Springs, was officially opened to the public on Good Friday.
The cross has been 14 years in the making, and is hoped to bring jobs and tourism to the Ikuntji community in Haasts Bluff.
Photographer and Walk a While founder Ken Duncan has spearheaded the project alongside Indigenous elders since it was originally suggested by the community in 2009.
He said the cross was a tribute to Indigenous missionaries which visited the area to spread the gospel in 1923.
“It was something driven by the Indigenous people, not white missionaries, so there’s a monument at the base of that mountain for those four Indigenous evangelists, and some of the Elders involved are descendants of those evangelists,” he said.
It is hoped the cross will draw tourists to the area and attract further investment and job opportunities, with plans to build glamping and camping facilities around Memory Mountain.
Mr Duncan said all tours of the cross and mountain would be guided by members of the local Indigenous community.
“People will be able to come out and do tours, at the present they’ll be guided, the only way to go up to the cross is to be guided by Aboriginal people,” he said.
“And they’ll be able to tell their stories. It’s got a Christian story, and it’s got a dreamtime story.
“And this creates an income stream for these young people.”
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles was in attendance for the opening, posting that the lighting of the cross on Memory Mountain was an “experience I will never forget”.
“This has been a long held dream and aspiration of the community.
“They hold the vision of this becoming a tourist destination that they can share with people from all across the world.”
Watch replay: Tiwi Bombers produce comeback win over PINT
The Tiwi Bombers have ended their regular season with a thrilling comeback win that was crucial to their top-three aspirations. Watch the REPLAY against PINT here.
Watch now: NTFL Round 17 Wanderers v Districts
The minor premiership is wrapped up for Southern Districts, but that doesn’t mean they will let off the gas against Wanderers. Watch the match LIVE here.