Back جبل ديڤيلس ماربليس كونسيرڤاتيون ريسيرڤ ARZ Devils Marbles CEB Karlu Karlu German Karlu Karlu Spanish Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve LLD Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve Dutch Karlu Karlu Polish Reserva de Conservação de Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles Portuguese Шары дьявола Russian Devils Marbles Swedish
| Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve Warumungu[1], Northern Territory | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[2] | |
 A pair of balanced boulders at the site | |
  Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve | |
| Nearest town or city | Wauchope[3] |
| Coordinates | 20°33′S 134°17′E / 20.550°S 134.283°E |
| Established | October 1961[4] |
| Area | 18.02 km2 (7.0 sq mi) |
| Visitation | 137,500[5] (in 2012) |
| Managing authorities | Traditional Aboriginal Owners and the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory[6] |
| Website | Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve |
| See also | Protected areas of the Northern Territory |
Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the locality of Warumungu[1] about 105 km (65 mi) south of Tennant Creek, and 393 km (244 mi) north of Alice Springs. The nearest settlement is the small town of Wauchope located 9 km (5.6 mi) to the south.[7] The hamlet of Wycliffe Well is located 25 km (16 mi) to the south.
The Devils Marbles are of great cultural and spiritual significance to the Aboriginal traditional owners of the land, and the reserve protects one of the oldest religious sites in the world as well as the natural rock formations found there. Karlu Karlu is the local Aboriginal term for both the rock features and the surrounding area. The Aboriginal term translates as "round boulders" and refers to the large boulders found mainly in the western side of the reserve.[3] The English name for the boulders derives from a quote by John Ross during the 1870 Australian Overland Telegraph Line expedition, where he said "This is the Devil’s country; he’s even emptied his bag of marbles around the place!"[3]
The area was originally named Devils Marbles Reserve in October 1961. The name was changed to Devil's Marbles Conservation Reserve on 21 September 1979 under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act.[4] In 1980, the conservation reserve was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate.[8] In 1982, almost the entire reserve was registered as a sacred site by the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority.[3]
Ownership of Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles was officially passed from the Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory back to the traditional owners at a ceremony held on the reserve in October 2008. The reserve is now leased back to the Parks Service under a 99-year lease and the site is jointly managed by rangers and traditional owners. Visitor access has not been affected,[7] making it an Indigenous Protected Area. On 6 July 2011, the name Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve was assigned, corresponding with the joint management structure.[4]
- ^ a b "Place Names Register Extract for "Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve"". NT Place Names Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "Terrestrial Protected Areas by Reserve Type in Northern Territory (2016)". CAPAD 2016. Australian government. 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve Joint Management Plan - Introduction" (PDF). Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory (PDF file linked from "parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/manage/plans/tennant"). 1 February 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "Place Names Register Extract". Northern Territory Land Information System. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ "Park Visitor Data". Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory. 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ "Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve Joint Management Plan - Foreword" (PDF). Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory (PDF file linked from "parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/manage/plans/tennant"). 1 February 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ a b "Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve". Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory. 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ "Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, Stuart Hwy, Tennant Creek (sic), NT, Australia - listing on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate (Place ID 148)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. 21 October 1980. Retrieved 17 March 2019.