Emily Gap

Emily Gap / Anthwerrke is a natural attraction and significant cultural site in the East MacDonnell Ranges, eight kilometres to the east of Mparntwe/Alice Springs, in Australia's Northern Territory.

Emily Gap, 1900

History

Adjacent to Jessie Gap, Emily Gap is a significant site for the dreaming stories of three ancestral caterpillars, Yeperenye, Utnerrengatye and the Ntyarlke. The caterpillar dreaming is one of the most important creation stories for Mparntwe/Alice Springs and the surrounding region.[1] Many Arrernte people conceived in Alice Springs consider themselves direct descendants of these caterpillars.[2]

Emily and Jessie Gaps are apocryphally thought to have been named for the daughters of Charles Todd, however the true basis of the names remain unknown.[3]

Geology

Around 300-350 million years ago a mountain building event created the MacDonnell Ranges. Since that time, folding, faulting and erosion have shaped the range and created numerous gaps and gorges, of which Emily Gap is one. The ranges are composed of many rock types, but are most famous for their red quartzite peaks and gorges. Other rock types include granite, limestone, sandstone and siltstone. Some of the valleys of the range contain fossil evidence of the inland sea that once covered central Australia.[4]

References
  1. "Anthwerrke (Emily Gap) Interactive Tour". Sites and Trails NT. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
  2. Rubuntja, Wenten; Green, Jennifer Anne (2002-01-01). The Town Grew Up Dancing: The Life and Art of Wenten Rubuntja. Jukurrpa Books. ISBN 9781864650426.
  3. Traynor, Stuart (2016). Alice Springs: From Singing Wire to Iconic Outback Town. Wakefield Press. ISBN 9781743054499.
  4. "MacDonnell Ranges". austhrutime.com. Retrieved 2019-10-15.

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