Black Tank is a community North East of Alice Springs. It is located on the old Sandover Black Tank Stock Route approximately 73km from Alice Springs. Access to Black Tank is obtained by taking the Arltunga Tourist Drive off the North Stuart Highway. Black Tank residents have been living permanently on their country for the past 7 years. Despite, the past struggles to obtain access to land, the Lynch family have a host ideas and aspirations for the future of Black Tank.
Recreation site at Black Tank community used for cultural and social events
History: Apmwere, Ngkwarle Untyere Altyere is corkwood dreaming country - Black Tank. The country has important historical., cultural and social value for the Lynch family whose grandparents are traditional land owners of the country.
In 1975, the CLC began negotiations on behalf of the Lynch, McMillan, Rice and Turner families and in the early 1980's lodged land claims on nearby stock routes and reserves.
The families formed the Mpweringe Arnapipe Council in 1984 and moved out of Alice Springs to set up camps on a stock route and reserves near Yambah Station and demonstrate their commitment to their traditional country. Because they had no 'legal' land title, government departments refused to provide even the most basic services, ande even drinking water had to be carted by truck from Alice Springs and stored in recycled forty-four gallon drums.
Facilities at the recreation site
Housing: There are 2 houses at Black Tank and 3 tins sheds. 1 shed stores the generator, solar power batteries, tools and equipment. The other 2 sheds act as temporary accommodation for visiting relatives and friends. Extensive use of solar powered energy sources are utilised at their homelands. The power source is supported by a solar/diesel hybrid system, together with solar panels to power the community’s communications system and solar water systems for domestic use. The Lynch family would like to acknowledge and recognise the support they have received from Ingerreke Homelands Resource Services who provide municipal/essential services, coordination of the CDEP participants, housing and infrastructure program and aged care support to the homeland.
Shed storing generator and tools
Water: Water is supplied through bores that pump to a storage tanks close to the community. The pipes and pumps require maintenance on regularly basis which CDEP workers undertake.
Looking after our bores with insufficient materials and equipment has been a burden on our young CDEP participants shoulders who are always displaying workman ship, co-operation and responsibility in the care and maintenance of their homeland.
Drinking water is carted into the house from a tap outside.
Garden: The residents are extremely proud of the garden. They continue to plant local native species around the residential area. This encourages an array of native bird species (including finches and honey eaters) and animals (kangaroos and wallabies). A dripper irrigation system waters the younger seedlings.
 
(left) Black Tank community (right) Gardens area at Black Tank
The residents are also working on a weed removal program. So, that the area surrounding the houses is rid of weeds, including buffel grass and other foreign grass species.
Weed removal equipment in storage shed
Cultural Awareness Workshops: The Lynch family at Black Tank run cross cultural awareness workshops and training. This is a full day where visitors are given an insight into caring for country, traditional Eastern Arrente cultural, challenges that Aboriginal people face and a tour of the Black Tank community which highlights infrastructure, current developments, significant sites, etc.
Images of Cultural Awareness Program
Itinerary
1. Introductions/Acknowledgements and formal welcome on to country
2. History discussion – Visitors sit down with traditional owners and discuss the cultural and social significance of the Anapipe country.
3. The current situation – Visitors listen to residents on a discussion og how they came to live out there and challenges they are facing in today’s political climate.
4. Future – Residents, Care Takers and Traditional owners discuss their future aspirations for Black Tank and the importance country.
5. Tour – A tour around Black Tank - community infrastructure, land, developments and a significant site.
6. Question and Answer Session – Visitors are encouraged to ask questions on a range of topics.
The Lynch family welcomes groups for cultural awareness visits. To obtain more information contact Ingkerreke Homelands Resource Services on 08 89528788 or Pamela Lynch on 0428139373.
* Visitors are encouraged to bring a tree and plant it with residents of Black Tank.
Landcare
- The environmental restoration of traditional lands around Black Tank homeland utilizing modern land care and environmental management initiatives combined with traditional Aboriginal techniques and cultural knowledge of the land.
- The environmental condition of the land around Black Tank is severely degraded having been subject to pastoral activities over the last 50 years or so. Vegetation and soil are seriously damaged in the area.
- Elders participation and contribution in the delivery of cultural blocks is significant to the project in maintaining Aboriginal cultural and spiritual association to land and in providing guidance to work activities for the environmental care and management of land.
- Undertaking of land care measures aimed at improving the natural environment in the homeland can have a focus for its presence on the country which will create a host of social and cultural benefits.
Environmental care
- Protect restore and manage remnant native vegetation including grasslands, shrub lands, woodlands, waterways, and wetlands for nature conservation benefit.
- Enhance sustainable production through establishing and managing native vegetation to tackle land degradation including salinity, rising water tables and soil erosion.
- Re-establish and manage indigenous vegetation especially to link native remnants and buffer planting around native remnants.
- Enhance, restore and manage the habitat of endangered and vulnerable species or species for which there are high levels of public concern.
Culture care
- Elders continue in their status of authority on cultural knowledge and spiritual association to land and share this in teaching the younger generation their responsibilities as future landowners and landcarers.
- Young men and women have the advantage of continued contact with elders who hold seniority in land ownership and responsibility thus gaining knowledge of their traditional rights to the land themselves
- Contact with elders and being involved in work activities on the land will inspire the young men and women to become responsible landowners and landcarers
- Increase occurrence of traditionally sought after food and including both flora and fauna.
Current Community Activities: Black Tank is an extremely environmentally conscious community. They want to preserve and conserve their country’s cultural, social and traditional significance, so that their young people will have a viable and healthy future living on country. The Black Tank Community won 2 awards in 2004 that help that provide evidence of their respect for country. This includes:
Winners of Territory Tidy Towns Competition 2004: This award recognises the efforts of communities and individuals who make improvements to their environment and living conditions.
  
Residents Pamela and Veronica Lynch celebrating the Tidy Towns Award
Winners of the Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB) – Spirit of Australia Award. This award recognises the spirit of Australia as demonstrated by communities which are facing or have faced difficulties times but which have solved problems by turning them into opportunities; and also communities which proudly preserve and value cultural history. KAB looks for evidence of community and regional hardship (e.g. economic, environmental or natural) and for evidence of the community’s refusal to “give in”. KAB also looks for evidence of a commitment to the preservation and celebration of cultural heritage. http://www.kab.org.au/aus_tt/black_tank.htm and winners pdf
Welcome to Black Tank
Looking after our country our way: The Black Tank residents have initiated a plan entitled “looking after our country our way”. Residents have a strong focus on regeneration of bush land and planting of local natives back into the environment. They also focus on reuse and recycling of waste materials. The community has a philosophy of sharing the work load between all family members, so that all of the community contributes to the health, well being and future of Black Tank.
The residents are very proactive in reaching this aim. All CDEP participants (Veronica Lynch, Pamela Lynch, Magdalene Lynch, Sheridan Lynch and Sabio George) are currently working on Certificate 1 and 2 in Conservation and Land Management at Batchelor Institute. This training mixed traditional, cultural knowledge will provide Black Tank residents with the skills to conserve their land through the Apmwarre Ranger Program.
Veronica, Pamela, Magdalene, Sheridan and Sabio are currently compiling a Field Guide of Anapipe region. This guide will become a valuable source for the Ranger Program. The Field Guide will include: acknowledgements, introduction into Black Tank, contents, map, description of ara, family tree, description of flora and fauna, fire management, water management, sacred sites and current/future project. Once, the Field Guide is finalised it will be added to this site.
In the future, all residents will be encouraged to undertake the conservation and land management training at Batchelor Institute.
Women showing their expertise in land conservation by gathering and preparing the native Atitye Mulga tree waste to recycle and use as mulch for the new native garden.
Enviro Fund: In 2004, the Apmwarre Aboriginal Corporation ‘Looking After Our Country’ was awarded funding from Enviro Fund to help in the conservation and protection of their country. The Australian Government Envirofund is for individuals and groups to undertake small projects aimed at conserving biodiversity and sustainable resource use at the local level.
Apmwarre Aboriginal Corporation is grateful for the important role taken in protecting and enhancing our environment and natural resources. This project will provide an initiative for community members to seek assistance to restore the natural environment around the community living area at Black Tank which will be achieved by planting 300 trees and 10 km of fencing for stock exclusion.
Generator for the bore at Black Tank
Black Tank’s aim: To establish ourselves as qualified Apmwarre Rangers, in order to look after country our way.
 
(left)Water tank that suppiies the community (right) Equipment and tools storage shed
Fire fighting trailer at Black Tank
Sacred Sites: In line with the conservation values of the Black Tank residents, there is also a conscious effort to preserve sacred sites. Currently only 1 sacred site is registered, but there is another 7 sites on the homeland that will soon be registered.
The community plan for looking after country is a strong example of how Indigenous people are combining traditional, cultural knowledge with scientific knowledge in the field of natural resource management.
Future:The Black Tank residents would like to build on the current facilities and programs over the next 5 years. There main aspirations for the future are:
Information Booth: A stop for visitors and tourist to read about history and traditional culture of the residents of Black Tank. It would also ideally contain information about the present projects and future developments of Black Tank. This booth will also be used for the Cultural Awareness tours.
Rangers Program: Following on from the Batchelor Conservation and Land Management Training. The CDEP participants want to set up the Ranger Program so that their scared sites and country can be conserved and protected. This program will be useful for to ensure that the younger people of Black Tank have an economically, culturally and environmentally viable future living on country.
Tools and equipment stored at Black Tank
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