Welcome to Lajamanu

Notes we hope will help you to find your way and to

feel at home.

About Lajamanu
Lajamanu is at the northern end of the Tanami Desert, approx. 600km
south west of Katherine, Northern Territory.
Lajamanu is part of the Warlpiri Triangle which also incorporates the
communities of Yuendemu, Willowra and Nyirripi. These are the
traditional lands of the Warlpiri people.

Lajamanu was formed in 1949 when it was decided (by Government) to

move Warlpiri people from Yuendemu to what was then known as Hooker
Creek station. On the first three attempts people walked away and
returned to their own communities but eventually became resolved to
their predicament. There are still a handful of people alive and living at
Lajamanu who were part of the families moved here in 1949.
As well as this enforced movement was the additional issue that the
lands belonged to the Gurindji people, the northern extent of the
Warlpiri lands being marked by the usually dry Winnecke creek some
80-100kms south of Lajamanu. This was resolved at the time by
agreement between the two peoples. Nevertheless the incredibly strong
bond the Warlpiri people have with their land of birth is an issue with
older members of the community, though on a positive note all those now
born in the community have Lajamanu as their spiritual home.
Lajamanu is still a traditional community in some ways where English is
the second language and where many traditional customs are still
practised.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE GOING

TO LIVE AND WORK IN LAJAMANU?
Your house will be furnished, and will have whitegoods, some crockery,
cutlery and cooking implements. Of course you will want to have some
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personal items around you but decide this knowing that at the end of a
contract that is not renewed the Department will transport your
possessions to Katherine, from there on it is at your own cost.

PERSONAL DOCUMENTS
You never know when you may be asked for certified documents such as
your birth certificate, academic records, vehicle documents etc. If you
dont want to bring the originals with you, it would be useful to have
some certified copies on hand. Certified documentation is hard to
organise quickly if the originals are stored back at home.

YOUR HEALTH CARE:

We are fortunate to have a clinic which operates around the clock and
we have a doctor here currently on Tues, Wed, Thurs. If you have
ongoing medical issues that need monitoring the community clinic can
provide assistance. Make sure you bring a current Medicare Card. The
clinic is open from 8:30am to 4pm and is closed on Friday mornings. It
does not open on the weekend but there is an after hours number if you
need medical care out of business hours.

DENTAL
If you have teeth that you know could become a problem whilst you are
living in the community, it is wise to have them fixed before you come.
Experience here is that if you have need for urgent dental treatment,
you may need to travel all the way to Darwin to see a dentist. You could
be away for more than a week, generally at your own cost. The only
dentist in Katherine is invariably booked out weeks in advance and is
unable to take on extra emergency work. The hospital emergency dental
service only treats people who receive a Government benefit.

COMMUNICATION
Only Telstra Next G coverage is available in Lajamanu. You will need to
organise this service before you come into the community. It is a good
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idea to visit a Telstra shop before you come and make sure you have the
correct service and handset.
Telstra Next G drops out approximately 10 km out of town. Past there,
a satellite phone is the only way to make a call. Your Next G will let you
dial out from Lajamanu to anywhere that has coverage. Essentially, when
you leave Lajamanu to go to Katherine, your phone coverage exists for
the first 10 km out of Lajamanu, then again for approx 10 km when you
get to the Buntine Highway near Kalkarindji and not again until you are
20 km out of Katherine ..approximately 460 km of no coverage.
You can get a landline connected at your home and this can be arranged
when you get here. Broadband internet is available in the community and
you can get this connected in your home. Many staff choose to use a
Telstra pre-paid mobile broadband stick or have an internet stick
bundled with their phone bill. When you arrive in Lajamanu as a teacher
you will be issued with a DET laptop.

YOUR NEW ADDRESS

When in Lajamanu, your mail will come through the school. Larger
parcels come in on Tuesdays on the freight truck and letters on
Thursdays on the plane. You need to use the following address:
Your name
C/- Lajamanu School
PMB 63
Via Katherine 0852
Stamps available from the Shire office, however this can sometimes be
sporadic so if you know you will need to be posting something it is a good
idea to bring some stamps with you.
Incoming mail is collected for the school and comes in once per week.
It will usually be in your pigeon hole by Thursday or Friday.
To post out : Take your mail over to the Shire office by 4pm on
Tuesdays and it gets flown to Katherine on Wednesday morning.

YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE

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If you are bringing a vehicle with you from interstate, remember it

needs to be registered with NT plates within three months. A
comprehensive web site will answer most questions and contains all
forms http://www.nt.gov.au/transport/mvr/.
The roads are harsh on cars and especially tyres and for this reason a
second spare tyre should be seriously considered.
Fuel prices are more than $2 a litre. The service station is open from
8:30 5pm Mon Fri and 8:30 -12pm on Saturdays. You must go into
the service station and ask them to open the pump before you fill up.
There is a credit card machine that enables you to get fuel 24/7,
however if you know you need fuel it is a good idea to do it in business
hours as the machine is sometimes broken.

SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY

Shop Well stocked with groceries, meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy.

.
Ph: 89750822
Open hours :
Main shop 9.30 4:45pm Mon Fri & 9.30 12.00 Sat
ATM closes about 4.15pm Main shop is closed for
lunch between 12 noon and 1:30 pm weekdays.
Video shop (smaller shop open every day , no videos though)
Left Side door at rear of building Open : 5.00 7.00pm
daily including Sat and Sun. Sells food basics, some fruit
& veg, milk, softdrinks, icecreams, chocolate and other
treats.
Take away right side door. Take away meals, snacks, drinks.
Open 9.30-4.30 M-F 9.30-11.30 Sat.

ClinicPh: 89750870
Open : 8.30 4.30pm Mon Thurs 1 -4.30 Fridays
24hr emergency service available. Just ring the clinic number.
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ChurchBaptist
Assemblies of God
Service : 10.00am Sunday - Everyone Welcome.

Police
Ph: 89750622

Motor Mechanic There is a qualified motor mechanic in Lajamanu able to solve all but the
most major of problems, parts are ordered and delivered generally
within 7-10 days.

WHAT YOU MIGHT NEED TO BRING.

Most houses have the basics, furniture, TV, some crockery and cutlery
etc, and you can purchase from the local shop or with Woolworths Bush
orders from Katherine

CASH The only source of cash is the ATM at the shop open
shop hours only. ATM charges may apply. Eftpos is available at the
shop and service station but no cash out.

You must have a NEXT G MOBILE PHONE no other phone will

get coverage. It is advisable to check with Telstra prior to
arriving to ensure your particular model will work in Lajamanu.

FAVOURITE COOKING EQUIP such as a good fry pan if thats

your thing or coffee plunger, etc

SHARP KNIFE for the kitchen as there are only the basics

SPECIALTY FOOD - available from Woolworths. The shop does

not have a huge range of specialty goods.
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BEDDING pillows, queen sheet set (for 3 bedroom house),

mattress protector, blankets/doona for mid year it can get cold
especially overnight in June/July.

DVD player

CLOTHING - For the greater part of the year, Lajamanu

temperatures are above 30 degrees and can go well into the 40
degree range. Cotton rather than synthetic clothing is best and
you need sturdy sandals and shoes. Sunhats and other protection
from the sun are essential. It does get cold in winter so bring
pants, jumpers, jackets.

SWIMMING - During the wet, the local creek (Hooker Creek)

floods and the children love swimming there. Unfortunately, this
often brings with it infections do not swim there. If youd like
to have a swim, ask local people where the waterholes are. You
may like to arrange to drive to Kalkarindji ,100 km north. Wattie
Creek and other places that are part of the Victoria River are
good safe places to swim. Sambo Rockhole and Neve Gorge are
also lovely places for a day trip or a camping trip. There is always
the chance of catching a barra in the waters too! There are no
saltwater crocodiles to worry about freshwater crocs arent
aggressive and may be seen in the Victoria River.

FISHING - If you want to try some fishing, bring some reels,

hooks etc and talk to locals about good times and places to try.
Dont think of going off fishing without talking first there are
many things to be aware of especially during the wet season.

NORTHERN TERRITORY GOVERNMENT HOUSING

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The schools houses, managed by NT Housing, are usually clean,

comfortable and air conditioned. They are fenced and have a variety of
gardens. The houses are scattered around town, all in walking distance.
Each house is different but they are similarly equipped. Lounge
furniture with TV and adjoining kitchen and dining to seat at least 4.
Kitchens have some basic equipment / utensils, microwave, fridge
and freezer.
Bathroom shower / bath in most. Laundry with washing machine.
Beds queen bed in the main. Some also have single beds and a
desk.

HOUSE KEYS Because the houses are as securable as Fort Knox, it is

likely to become a crisis if you accidentally lock your keys in your house
or mislay them elsewhere. Ensure there is a spare key for your house
held at the school that you can access if the need arises.
RUBBISH The rubbish is collected on Monday and Friday mornings.
Place your wheelie bin outside the gate in the morning and please use
the metal bin rack outside your house as this stops dogs being able to
knock your bin over. Flatten cardboard boxes if possible.
ANTS can be a problem - surface spray will just make them take
another route but is a good solution to some problem areas like bench
tops (just spray the edge) . Ant rid will be more permanent if you can
find their main trail. Let the school know if it is really bad. GINGER
ANTS can be a real problem they will eat out the circuitry inside your
computer for example. Pest control is carried out regularly.
GARDEN everything grows very well here with water. Bring some
seeds to plant and try it to see. Watering will soon give you a lawn or
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vegetable patch. A mower is placed in three areas where houses are

clustered and it is your responsibility to mow your lawn and keep your
yard tidy. The wild horses will mow for you if you leave the gate open.
MAINTENANCE If you have any maintenance issues with your house
please let the school know as soon as possible. A form to register the
problem needs to be completed and emailed to the housing department
at the following address:
GEHPHLKATH.DHLGRS@nt.gov.au and also cc your form to
Francine.livesey@nt.gov.au and to juliette.keefe@ntschools.net

FOOD AND ALCOHOL

It is worthwhile getting a Woolworths online account ASAP. Most staff get
their food from here and you will get a much bigger range than the shop.
Make sure you tick the available day when you are registering as Monday as
this is when the truck picks it up from the store. If you have trouble with
registering (some people do with our Lajamanu address) then call the help
phone number and talk to someone in person. You need to have your order in
no later than Friday morning for delivery the next Tuesday
Alcohol You need a permit to legally have alcohol in Lajamanu. Take your
completed form to the Police station and it will take a few days to a couple of
weeks to get processed and come back. You then need to email your permit to
Woolies in Katherine before you can order alcohol. Send your permit and all of
your alcohol or cigarette orders to this email address as it goes straight to
the bush orders manager at Katherine Woolworths:
5636wowol@woolworths.com.au
It is best to order your alcohol from Woolies rather than any other source in
Katherine as they will ensure it comes wrapped in black plastic which is the
requirement in Lajamanu. We have had issues with other bottle shops/pubs
sending out liquor that is not wrapped up.

Hardt Transport

You will need to fill in a form and send it to Hardt Transport as they are the
trucking company that delivers all our goods. They will send you an invoice
regularly via email for the cost of shipping your woollies orders.

WALKING
Generally speaking anywhere around the streets in the community is OK,
however use your common sense as you would anywhere else when
walking at night. You will also need to watch out for the camp dogs who
may chase you and sometimes can bite you. They will usually run off if
you yell at them or wave a stick.
There are a few areas that are mens only areas (these will be clearly
signposted you must not go there) and additionally during sorry
business other areas are to be respected. Ask any of the local staff
about what places you can visit out of town.
Walking on the main roads out of town is fine. You can walk along the
main road in and out past the police station or down the Tanami road.
Just watch for the signs that say no entry and please respect them. It
is a very serious issue if you go into cultural areas, especially if you are
female.

GYM
The school has an air conditioned gym with a great range of equipment.
Staff are free to use this at any time.

SECURITY/PRIVACY
As is the case anywhere it is sensible to lock your doors when you are
not at home and make sure you do not misplace your house keys.
Particularly when you are new to community people will be interested in
who you are and local kids especially may turn up to your house. It is
great to be friendly and get to know people but it is important to create
some boundaries for yourself (and your neighbours). It is never
appropriate to invite children into your home as this leaves you open to a
range of possible child protection issues. It is also not necessary for
you to give children drinks or lollies or water as they do have access to
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all these things. The problem becomes they will then be around in your
yard every day and will start to humbug your neighbours too. Use your
common sense and create some appropriate boundaries for yourself and
your home that allow you to feel safe and secure as well as have a break
and a life outside of school.
Living in remote communities can be challenging and sometimes
confusing! It is also very rewarding and fun. Your time here will be
what you make of it so try to keep a positive attitude, dont take to
heart all the problems that you see (you cant fix everything!) and make
sure you talk to your colleagues if you are feeling isolated or need to
talk things through. We are all here together!

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