Musgrave Ranges

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Musgrave Ranges is a mountain range in Central Australia, straddling the boundary of South Australia and the Northern Territory, extending into Western Australia. It is between the Great Victoria Desert to the south and the Gibson Desert to the north. They have a length of 210 kilometres and many peaks that have a height of more than 1100 metres, the highest being Mount Woodroffe at 1,435 m.

The landform is named for Sir Anthony Musgrave, a colonial governor of South Australia and Queensland.

[edit] Inhabitants

They were inhabited by the Pitjantjatjara Aborigines and discovered by English explorer William C. Gosse and named after Anthony Musgrave, then Governor of South Australia. In an historic decision freehold title to the South Australian portion of the Musgrave Ranges was granted to the Pitjantjatjara people by virtue of the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act 1980. Since that time however, the remote and relatively inhospitable nature of the area has moved many of the young traditional owners to relocate to such urban centres as Port Augusta and Whyalla.

[edit] Mineral Exploration

In order to combat substance abuse and poverty due to unemployment, the Pitjantjatjara Elders seek to develop employment and opportunity within the Pitjantjatjara Lands. Mineral exploration companies in particular have been keen to discuss possible business alliances with the Pitjantjatjara people because in addition to being a highly prospective region (platinum group elements, gold, uranium, copper, silver, possibly oil), the region represents the largest freehold Aboriginal province in Australia and has had no modern mineral exploration techniques applied since the Land Rights Act of 1980.

[edit] References