He promptly named it ayers rock in honour of sir henry ayers, the englishborn premier of south australia at the time. Uluru also known as ayers rock and officially gazetted as uluru ayers rock, is a large. However, uluru is the traditional and cultural land of the pitjantjatjara and yankunytjatjara people also. Mount augustus burringurrah in western australia is often identified as the worlds largest monolith, but, because it is composed of multiple rock types, it is. The rock uluru was sighted in 1872 by explorer ernest giles and was first visited by a european the following year when surveyor william gosse named it for sir henry ayers, a former south australian premier. Information regarding history of uluru formely ayers rock.
The ayers rock resort is committed to training aboriginal employees, who today make up 39 percent of its staff. He was elected to the south australian parliament on 9 march 1857. He named the rock ayers after the former south australian premier sir henry ayers. In 1873, explorer william gosse became the first nonnative to see uluru. He named it ayers rock after sir henry ayers, the chief secretary of. Shallow caves at the base of the rock are sacred to several aboriginal tribes and contain carvings and paintings. Ayers rock was the most widely used name until 1993, when the rock was officially renamed ayers rock uluru the first feature in the northern territory to be given dual names.
Recorded live at armstrongs studio, melbourne, sept 2122, 1974. The first nonindigenous australian to see the rock, in 1873, was the explorer william gosse. The majestic red dome of uluru ayers rock and the many smaller domes of kata tjuta the olgas have stood for thousands of years. The rock was sighted in 1872 by explorer ernest giles and was first visited by a european the. He named it ayers rock after sir henry ayers, the chief secretary of south australia at the time. Mount augustus burringurrah in western australia is often identified as the worlds largest monolith, but, because it is composed of multiple rock types, it is technically. On arrival at ayers rock airport youll be transferred to the resort flights to arrive prior to 1. Australias iconic rock uluru scaled by final climbers. In 1873 william gosse, an englishborn explorer, set eyes on a large sandstone formation in the heart of the australian outback. Kata tjuta the olgas, northern territory, australia.
Soaring white sails crown ayers rock resorts sails in the desert hotel, shading 228 luxury five star rooms and suites. The first nonindigenous person to see uluru was british explorer william gosse, who spotted it in 1873. Sighted in 1872 by explorer ernest giles, the rock was first visited by a european the following year when surveyor william gosse named it for sir henry ayers, a former south australian premier. This afternoon, visit the ulurukata tjuta cultural centre. An englishborn explorer named the highest peak mount olga, with the entire grouping of rocks informally known as the olgas. He named it ayers rock in honour of sir henry ayers, the prime minister of south australia at the time.
However, its rich and cultural significance encouraged a namechange in the 90s. For other people named william gosse, see william gosse disambiguation. Jul 16, 2018 the ayers rock resort is committed to training aboriginal employees, who today make up 39 percent of its staff. Giles returned to the area in 1873 but was beaten to uluru by william gosse who sighted the monolith on 19 july and named it after the chief secretary of south australia, sir henry ayers. You really need at least two days to appreciate the countless dreamtime stories and the many colors and endless views of this special place from the caves and rock paintings at the base of uluru, to the mutitjulu waterhole and the 36 rocky. In 1873, an explorer named william gosse was the first european to sight this magnificent rock which he named ayers rock in honour of south australias then chief secretary, sir henry ayers.
Like uluru, this is a sacred site to the native anangu or aboriginal people. Ayers rock was named by explorer william gosse after the former premier of south australia, sir henry ayers. On 19 july 1873 he reached uluru and gave it the name ayers rock. Uluru is a large magnetic mound large not unlike silbury hill in england.
The name was chosen and named after the south australian premier, sir henry ayers. In the same year, ayers was knighted kcmg and raised to gcmg in 1894. Oct 25, 2019 while the rock had been known as uluru for thousands of years, britishborn explorer william gosse was credited with discovering it in 1873 and named it ayers rock after the thenpremier of the. Visit ayers rock uluru the sacred rock of australia. In separate expeditions, ernest giles and william gosse were the first european explorers to this area.
Western plateau central lowlands great dividing range. Ayers rock was the most used name until 1993, when the rock was officially renamed ayers rock uluru the first site in the northern territory to have received the. Its name has evolved in recent years from the historical ayers rock to uluru and the media is encouraged to refer to it as uluru ayers rock. In 1985 official ownership of uluru ayers rock was given to the local aboriginal people who thereupon leased the rock and the national park to the. Uluru is the ancient name used by indigenous australians.
In 1873, surveyor william gosse sighted the rock and in honour of the then chief secretary of south australia sir henry ayers, named it ayers rock. Ernest giles, an explorer, named ayers rock after him in 1872. Uluru was named ayers rock by europeans in 1873 when william gosse gave it its title after sir henry ayers, the chief secretary of south australia at the time. Things to do in uluru, australias red center girl eat world. On 18 july 1873, he sighted ayers rock, recording that, this rock is certainly the. Feb 22, 2017 in 1873 william gosse, an englishborn explorer, set eyes on a large sandstone formation in the heart of the australian outback.
Uluruayers rock, giant monolith, one of the tors isolated masses of weathered rock in southwestern northern territory, central australia. Ayers rock was named by explorer william gosse in 1873 after the former premier of south australia, sir henry ayers. Uluruayers rock kids britannica kids homework help. When europeans first saw it they called it ayers rock.
He named the musgrave ranges and was able correctly to lay down the position of some of the discoveries of ernest giles. Ayers rocks name change citizenship of the aboriginal. Why ayers rock was changed back to uluru gray line blog. While the rock had been known as uluru for thousands of years, britishborn explorer william gosse was credited with discovering it in 1873 and named it ayers rock after the thenpremier of the. In 1873, the explorer william gosse became the first nonaboriginal person to see uluru. It is oval in shape and rises 1,142 feet above the surrounding desert. Oct 25, 2019 originally, the land and rock was owned by the local anangu people, who date back more than 60,000 years, until 1873 when explorer william gosse located the site and named it after chief secretary.
In 1985 official ownership of uluruayers rock was given to the local aboriginal people who thereupon leased the rock and the national park to the. Ayers rock is also known by its aboriginal name uluru. Uluru climbed legally for last time today in australia right. Its original name was given by a european explorer who first sited it in 1873 and named it after the chief secretary of south australia, sir henry ayers. However, uluru was originally the cultural land of the pitjantjatjara and yankunytjatjara people. Gosse then named it ayers rock, after sir henry ayers, a premier in south australia at that time. Then thousands of years later, in 1873, an explorer named william gosse also stumbled across the giant, beautiful rock formation. In 1870, when european explorers started mapping out central australia, they came upon the massive rock and named it after the chief secretary of south australia at that time, sir henry ayers. There will be refurbishments between 25 jan 26 jun 2019, and 4 nov 2019 30 jun 2020. Ayers rock was the most widely used name until 1993. Originally, the land and rock was owned by the local anangu people, who date back more than 60,000 years, until 1873 when explorer william gosse located the site and named it after chief secretary. The fight over the right to name australian places bbc news. In fact, for most people, the towering red rock formation is simply known as ayers rock and has been for years.
In the previous year another explorer, ernest giles, was in this same region. Safety chain to come off uluru as rock climb closes in australia. The rock has long been known to the aboriginal peoples who live in the area. The rock was sighted in 1872 by explorer ernest giles and was first visited by a european the following year, when surveyor william gosse named it for sir. Safety chain to come off uluru as rock climb closes cnn. Uluru climbed legally for last time today in australia. In uluruayers rock the following year, when surveyor william gosse named it for sir henry ayers, a former south australian premier. Uluru physical characteristics that make australia unique. Ayers rock lies close enough to the geographic center of australia to make it the supreme symbol of that hinterland known as the outback. It was only in 1993 when the australia government enforced a dual naming policy, and the rock became officially known as ayers rockuluru. It has long been revered by a variety of australian aboriginal peoples of the region, who call it uluru. William christie gosse 11 december 184212 august 1881, was an australian explorer, who. Giles also was the first european to climb the rock which he did accompanied by.
Later, travel around the base of uluru in comfort as your driver guide provides commentary about the numerous sacred sites and features to be found at uluru. In 1993 the rock was formally given its traditional name, uluru. It wasnt until 1993 that ulu r u became the first icon in australia to be given back its aboriginal name and making it the first official dualnamed feature in the northern territory. Henry ayers simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Gosse named it ayers rock after sir henry ayers, the chief secretary of south australia at the time. Ernest giles, a more seasoned explorer in that region, had already found and named an important lake and mountain range nearby. May 30, 2012 uluru was first named ayers rock by ernest giles, a european explorer who first sighted the rock in 1872. Ayers rock is the name given to this large monolithic structure by explorer william gosse, who named it after henry ayers, chief secretary of south australia. In a continent as large as the continental united states.
Uluru, australias iconic rock, bans climbers for good. However, he named the landmark ayers rock after the australian. Uluruayers rock students britannica kids homework help. He named it ayers rock after the then premier of south australia, henry ayers. Uluru might have only been discovered by europeans in the 1800s and named ayers rock in honour of thenchief secretary of south australia, sir henry ayers but we should remember that long before that, uluru was considered sacred by the anangu people. The order of the dual names was officially reversed to uluru ayers rock on 6 november 2002 following a request from the. Uluruayers rock is a giant outcropping of weathered rock in the southwestern part of australia s northern territory. Ayers rock was renamed uluru in 1993, becoming the territorys first official dualnamed place, switching its colonial namesake former south australian premier sir henry ayers to the language of. Safety chain to come off uluru as rock climb closes cnn travel. Uluru was originally named ayers rock by ernest giles, an european explorer who first saw the phenomenal rock in 1872.
The explorers named it ayers rock after sir henry ayers, the chief secretary of south australia at the time. An equally massive inselberg located approximately 30 kilometers 20 miles to the northwest is known as kata tjuta. A job is guaranteed for any indigenous australian who wants one, and 55 aboriginal. However, as we now know of the australian history, the european explorers did not find uluru, as it has existed for millions of years and had been known to the indigenous pitjantjatjara. Uluru is considered one of the great wonders of the world and one of australias most recognizable natural icons. Interestingly, this world famous rock is owned and administered by aborigines even today. You really need at least two days to appreciate the countless dreamtime stories and the many colors and endless views of this special place from the caves and rock paintings at the base of uluru, to the mutitjulu waterhole and the 36 rocky domes of the olgas.
But he reached ayers rock, which he described as this remarkable pebble, some months after william gosse had reached and named his discovery. In 1873, an englishborn explorer named william gosse found the rock and named it after an important australian politician, sir henry ayers. It is a sacred part of aboriginal creation mythology, or dreamtime reality being a dream. In 1872, european explorer ernest giles first dubbed the rock ayers rock after the south australian premier sir henry ayers. The european name ayers rock, now no longer used on any official documents relating to the rock, was given to the monolith by the explorer william gosse who, on 19 july, 1873, named it after sir henry ayers, the chief secretary of south australia. The name ayers rock was chosen by giles who named it after the south australian premier at the time, sir henry ayers. Guide to uluru ayers rock, everything you need to know to. Ayers rock is the name that was given to the landform by explorer william christie gosse in the 1800s. Nov 16, 2014 ayers rock is the name given to this large monolithic structure by explorer william gosse, who named it after henry ayers, chief secretary of south australia. Uluru was first named ayers rock by ernest giles, a european explorer who first sighted the rock in 1872. Uluru is one of australias major tourist attractions more than 270,000 visitors in 2014, with operations run by people from the small town of mutitjulu. Oct 25, 2019 gosse named it ayers rock after sir henry ayers, the chief secretary of south australia at the time. Berry another aei alumnus was probably the first white man to climb the rock.