Place Names Register Extract

Santa Teresa

Extract date: 14/06/2026

Name Santa Teresa
Type Designation Major
Place Id 145
Place Type Aboriginal Community
Status Recorded
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -24° 07' S (Decimal degrees -24.1307)
Longitude: 134° 22' E (Decimal degrees 134.3733)
Locality / Suburb  
  Santa Teresa
Land Council Central Land Council
Resource Centre Managed by Local Government
Local Government Area  
  MacDonnell Shire Council
Alternate Names  
  Ltyente Purte
  Ltyentye Apurte
History/Origin In 1950, Bishop J P O'Loughlin submitted a grant for land for the Mission. In 1952 Crown land was divided into four blocks with the Catholic Church being granted one of the blocks for a mission which the Church called Santa Teresa.

The Arrernte language name for the community - Ltyentye Apurte - is pronounced " l · jin · jer   port · uh " and means 'clump of beefwood trees'.

Santa Teresa is named after Carmelite nun Saint Therese of Lisieux who was born in Alencon, France in 1873. Saint Therese of Lisieux was declared a Saint in 1925. Her specific message regarded the missions and that people can be missionaries just by offering help to those less fortunate even though she was restricted to the Carmelite convent. Saint Therese was called the "The Little Flower" in recognition of the message she was spreading throughout the world that little things were more important as big things.

Santa Teresa is located approx 85km south-east of Alice Springs and 80km from the Simpson Desert. The area for Santa Teresa is a 1,242 square km block of land appropriate for cattle-grazing, located on the Phillipson River normally only a dry creek bed.

Santa Teresa is positioned at the base of a range of hills overlooking a very large plain. This region of land can be quite vibrant and colourful after the rain when the wild flowers blossom showing off their beautiful colours.

Santa Teresa is administered by the Ltyentye Apurte Community Government Council.

Ltyentye Apurte is the Eastern Arrernte (local Aboriginal group/language) name for a nearby stand of beefwood trees.

The above information is extracted from the council website http://www.ltyentyeapurte.nt.gov.au/home/our_community

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
  (None Found)  

The Northern Territory Gazetteer is maintained by the Place Names Section,
Department of Lands, Planning and Environment.
GPO Box 1680, Darwin NT 0801. Ph 08 8995 5333.
place.names@nt.gov.au

© Northern Territory of Australia
The Northern Territory of Australia does not warrant that the information in this extract or any part of it is correct or complete and will not be liable for any loss damage or injury suffered by any person as a result of its inaccuracy or incompleteness. You are encouraged to notify any error or omission in the material by calling the Place Names Section.