© Central Australian Remote Health Development Services (CARHDS)

An Orientation Game to Alice Springs

For New Employees• This activity is designed to provide an introduction to Alice

Springs and some of the Indigenous aspects of Central Australia.• The player steps through a series of subjects that will expand

their general knowledge without imposing any pressure of “testing”

• The game can be packaged on a CD, emailed or accessed in an online learning environment providing flexibility in delivery modes.

• It can also be customised to cover a broad range of subjects other than simply orientation material eg. This template has been used by one educator in the preparation of material on “Understanding your Constitution”.

Please Enjoy! Feedback can be emailed to:

Tanya Wooley – office@carhds.nt.edu.au

Language Aboriginal FlagWeatherLocalityTotemPopulationHistoryMusicHealthLegalEconomicEducationPoliticsSocial

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A. Pitjantjatjarra

C. Arrernte

B. Luritja

D. Pintubi

Language QuestionWhat is the local Indigenous language of Alice Springs?

Language AnswerC = Arrernte

Back to Board

The Eastern and Central Arrernte people live in Central Australia, their traditional land including the area of Alice

Springs and East MacDonnell Ranges.

There are roughly 1800 speakers of Eastern and Central Arrernte, making it one of the largest speaking

populations of any Australian language.

It is taught in schools, heard in local media and local government. An Eastern and Central Arrernte to English

dictionary was published.

A. Blue, Red & Yellow

C. Green & Gold

B. Red, Black, Yellow

D. Red, Black & White

Aboriginal Flag QuestionColour of the Aboriginal Flag

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Aboriginal Flag Answer

B = Red, Black & YellowThe Aboriginal Flag was designed by Harold Thomas, an

Aboriginal man of the Arrernte language group in 1971.

The flag was designed to be an eye-catching rallying symbol for the Aboriginal people and a symbol of their

race and identity.

The black represents the Aboriginal people, the red the earth and their spiritual relationship to the

land, and the yellow the sun, the giver of life.

D. 36°C C. 42°C

B. 25°C A. 32°C

Weather QuestionWhat is the average January daily temperature in Central

Australia?

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Weather AnswerD = 36 Degrees C

Temperatures in the low 40 degrees Celsius are not uncommon in the height of summer, while in winter

overnight minimums sometimes drop to minus 7 degrees Celsius.

A. Coober Pedy & Adelaide

C. Tennant Creek & Adelaide D. Coober Pedy & Darwin

B. Tennant Creek & Darwin

Locality QuestionWhat is the closest regional town & capital city to Alice

Springs?

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Locality AnswerB = Tennant Creek &

DarwinAlice Springs is 500 kms from the nearest regional centre of

Tennant Creek and 1410 kms to the NT capital - Darwin

You are here!

A. Desert Pea & Dingo

C. Desert Rose & Yeperenye

B. Kangaroo Paw & Wombat

D. Desert Rose & Kangaroo

Totem QuestionWhat are the Floral emblem

and Indigenous totem of Alice Springs?

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Totem AnswerC = Desert Rose & Yeperenye

(caterpillar)

Sturt's Desert Rose & occurs naturally on stony or rocky slopes, or in dry creek beds in the southern part of the

Northern Territory, north-eastern South Australia, western Queensland, western New South Wales and in

parts of northern Western Australia.

The Yeperenye caterpillar ancestors were the major creative forces for this area. These ancestors came from many different places and travelled widely across Central

Australia.

A. 60%

C. 32%

B. 29%

D. 17%

Population QuestionWhat percentage of the total NT population is Aboriginal?

Back to Board

Population AnswerB = 29%

At 30 June 2001 the Territory's estimated resident Indigenous population was 57,600, 29% of the total population of the NT, the

highest proportion of any state or territory

According to the 2001 Census, the population of Alice Springs in was 28,178.

The median age is 31.5 years of age.

A. Mary Springs

C. Stuart

B. MacDonnell

D. Hermannsburg

History QuestionWhat was the original name

of Alice Springs?

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History AnswerC = Stuart

Until the early 1930s, the town’s official name was Stuart.

Alice Springs was the name given to the Telegraph Station, the site of original white settlement in Central

Australia. However, this dual naming created such confusion for administrators in Adelaide that on 31 August 1933 the township of Stuart was officially

gazetted Alice Springs.

A. Blek Bela Mujik

D. Warumpi Band

Music QuestionWhich well known band from Papunya came to become a

household name in the 1980s and 1990s?

C. Midnight Oil

B. Yothu Yindi

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Music AnswerD = Warumpi Band

The Warumpi Band, from Papunya, which was formed in 1982.

They released Big Name, No Blankets (1985), Go Bush

(1987) and Too Much Humbug (1996) before splitting up a few years later. Their songs are recognised classics.

George Rurrambu & Neil Murray from this band wrote “My Island Home” which later became a hit for Christine

Anu.

Health QuestionWhat is the difference in life

expectancy between Indigenous & non-Indigenous

males?

A. 5 Years

C. 30 Years

B. 10 Years

D. 20 Years

Health AnswerD = 20 Years!

Life expectancy in the NT - non- Aboriginal males live 20 years longer than Aboriginal Males. Aboriginal women have a life expectancy that is 22 years less than non-

Aboriginal women.

Nationally, death rates for young Indigenous males were 2.8 times higher than for other young males.

Diabetes is 12-17 times more common among Aboriginal people compared to the non-Aboriginal population,

while renal disease is 17.4 times more common.

Back to Board

A. 73%

Legal QuestionWhat is the percentage of

Aboriginal people in the NT prison system?

C. 61%

B. 82%

D. 26%

Back to Board

Legal AnswerA = 73%

Aboriginal people make up approximately 73% of the NT’s

prison population.

Indigenous people come into contact with the criminal justice system at a

disproportionately high rate. The most significant reason for this was the severely disadvantaged position

of many Indigenous people in society - socially, economically and

culturally.

B. Tourism

Economic QuestionWhat is the major industry

for Alice Springs?

A. Mining

C. Aboriginal Art D. Cattle

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Economic AnswerB = Tourism

Tourism provides the economic foundation of Alice Springs.

In 2001/02 financial year an estimated 1,026 Million $$ was spent by visitors to the Northern Territory.

It is the major employer and generates the greatest proportion of the regional wealth.

Come for a week – Stay for a lifetime!

C. 5%

Education QuestionWhat is the participation rate

for Indigenous students in Years 11 & 12 in the NT?

A. 16% B. 32%

D. 47%

Back to Board

Education AnswerC = 5%

Only 5.5% of the Indigenous school aged population are participating in years 11 and 12.

Nearly half of Indigenous people aged 15 years and over had received no formal education.

The year 10 certificate was the highest educational qualification achieved by almost 30 per cent of

Indigenous people.Only one in six Indigenous people have obtained a

qualification after leaving school.

C. John Ah Kit

Politics QuestionWho is the Territory Labor

Indigenous Minister?

A. Aiden Ridgeway

D. Aaron Pederson

B. Elliot McAdam

Back to Board

Politics AnswerC = John Ah Kit

Born in Alice Springs, John has a long history of political activity in the Northern Territory. In the nineties he was

the CEO of the Northern Land Council in Darwin.

Now a minister in the Territories Labor government with a large number of ministerial portfolio responsibilities

including advising the Chief Minister on Indigenous issues.

A. 400,000

Social QuestionHow many people visit Uluru

annually?

B. 250,000

D. 1,000,000 C. 550,000

Social AnswerA = 400,000

In 2003 visitor numbers to Uluru had reached around the 400,000 mark.

Uluru is one of Australia's most famous landmarks and is the country's most visited site.

Uluru holds deep significance to the Anangu people

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