MPARNTWE: WHEN YOU COME TO ANOTHER COUNTRY

DATES 11-13 September 2025

LOCATION Mparntwe (Alice Springs), Central Arrernte Country

Primary venue for two seminar days on Thursday and Friday will be the John Flynn Memorial Uniting Church, 50 Todd St, Alice Springs NT. On Saturday delegates will travel to the Tjoritja (West MacDonnell National Park) where the event will conclude. Bus travel included, camping optional.

CREATIVE DIRECTORS Bobbie Bayley, Owen Kelly and Tonielle Dempers

CPD 10 formal points available across the three days

FURTHER INFORMATION via the event page.

THE EVENT
Regional and remote places, by their nature, connect people with place, offering value that is often felt rather than explained.

Mparntwe sits at a fraught crossroads, where Country meets colonisation, and history folds over itself. Here, culture, climate, and community are entangled—stitched together with both tension and care.

Visitors will gain more than a tourist’s view, coming away with a felt sense of Mparntwe’s layered Country—where design converges with story, land and reality—and a deeper reckoning with the intricate, often uneasy entanglements of community, climate, landscape and water in Central Australia.

Locals gain a space to share grounded knowledge. Together, we create a forum to celebrate the value of regional and remote places, and to shape more thoughtful, responsive ways forward.

This is not just a gathering—it’s an invitation to understand place on its own terms.

The RAA event coincides with Desert Mob, an annual cultural festival and delegates will have the opportunity to attend associated events and exhibitions around town.

THE LOCATION
Mparntwe (pronounced m’barn-twa), the Arrernte name for Alice Springs, sits close to the geographic centre of Australia – but on the metaphorical edge of many things. Around 500–600 million years ago, it was submerged beneath an inland sea.

The Arrernte (pronounced arrunda) people are the traditional custodians of Mparntwe and the surrounding region. Stories passed down describe how the landscape, including the MacDonnell Ranges, was created by their ancestors – the caterpillar beings Ayepe-arenye, Ntyarlke and Utnerrengatye. Culture and language remain strong and widely practiced across the many Aboriginal groups living in and around the town.

Mparntwe’s arid climate is defined by extremes and boom and bust cycles – from 40°C heat to sub-zero winters. Rainfall is sparse and unpredictable, averaging just 285mm annually, while evaporation outpaces it tenfold. Yet even a small downpour can bring a burst of abundant life. Across the NT, 90% of the water supply comes from groundwater – some of it hundreds of thousands of years old, predating the last ice age – aquifers are under increasing pressure from a growing population, meaning only 100s of years of water storage is left.

Like many parts of Australia, the history of Mparntwe is complex – shaped by stories of resistance, dispossession, inspiration and survival. Colonised in 1871 as a repeater station for the Overland Telegraph Line, it became a prohibited area for Aboriginal people in 1928. They were removed to reserves outside the town and barred from entering after dark – a restriction that remained until 1964.

Today, Mparntwe is a rich and compelling place – where architecture, environment, and culture collide in powerful, urgent ways. It is a place that invites thoughtful engagement, critical reflection, and deeper understanding.

THE FORMAT
Days 1 & 2 (Thursday & Friday) - The first two days will take place in Mparntwe/Alice Springs and surrounds, exploring the key influences shaping work in Central Australia - landscape, climate and culture. Presenters will share insights into how they navigate these forces, offering stories of both success and failure. Presentations will be interspersed with site visits and activities, creating an engaging experience.

Day 3 (Saturday) - On day three, delegates will travel to Tjoritja (West MacDonnell National Park) for an immersive experience, fostering a deeper connection with the landscape, local culture and stories of place.

RAA events are open to associated disciplines and interested community members as well as RAA members.

RAA members attending can access a 10% discount on Non Member tickets for fellow practice staff. Discount code is available in member area.

For RAA news, including this event, sign up to our mailing list HERE.

*Please note that event program and details are subject to change.