Our Story | Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation (AAAC) & Santa Teresa Enterprises Limited

Early Beginnings

Santa Teresa Mission was established in 1953 with land purchased by the Catholic Church, and in 1977 the Mission’s administration was passed to the Ltyentye Apurte Aboriginal Lands Trust in accordance with the Aboriginal Lands Rights (NT) Act 1976. In 1981 The Santa Teresa Community Council was established and many of the assets of the Mission were transferred to the Community Council and thus to Community Control.

This changed again in 2007 following the Northern Territory National Emergency Response, also known as The Intervention, and the installation of Government Business Managers. One year later the local council was closed and Ltyentye Apurte became part of the MacDonnell Regional Council. These two major changes led to confusion about who was doing what in Ltyentye Apurte and what had happened to community management.

Community Elders began negotiation to set up an organisation to regain community control. The Elders were supported by some external partners, and in 2010 Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation and Santa Teresa Enterprises were registered. AAAC was incorporated on 1st May 2010 as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Affairs (ORIC) Indigenous Corporation Number 7370. STE was registered as a company on 1st June 2010 and both AAAC & STE were registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for Profits Commission in December 2012.

Today, the community is governed by the Ltyentye Apurte Community Government Council and is supported by organizations such as the Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation (AAAC), which advocate for local decision-making, cultural preservation, and community development .

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