Well-earned rest comes to Sacred Rock - 30th October 2019

Uluru has finally closed to climbers after years of quiet protest by indigenous people. Traditional owners, the Anangu, who share control of the park and rock itself, gathered with Australian parliament members to celebrate the long-awaited end of climbing at Uluru.

Climbing ceased on Friday evening when the last tourists descended from the sacred rock, which can now have a "well-earned rest".

In recent months, climbing numbers spiked as the deadline loomed, visitors ignoring longstanding signs saying, "Please don't climb", which explained Anangu beliefs and highlighted the dangers of the climb.

Safety is another key reason for the rock's permanent closure, having witnessed 37 climbing-related deaths and countless injuries since the 1950s. Rangers worked quickly to take out the metal chain that had helped people climb. The environmental impact of litter and human waste left on Uluru, polluting waterholes, will also stop.

An official ceremony under the rock on Sunday marked the occasion with traditional dancing, music and speeches. The Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, faced criticism for not attending.

The recent rush to climb was in stark contrast to the rising numbers of tourists choosing to respect Anangu beliefs and stay off Uluru. Just 16 per cent of visitors climbed in 2017, triggering the decision to close Uluru in line with conditions set down by the national park board years earlier.

For the indigenous Anangu that predate European colonisation, it signals the end of a decades-long quest to regain control of Uluru. This sacred place, site of Anangu creation stories, also bears a scar left by the now-historic climbing route.

The Anangu regained control of the park in 1985 after a 30-year campaign 34 years later, Anangu traditional law, Tjukurrpa has been reintroduced and stopped people climbing the red rock. One man has been telling tourists, since he was a boy "We don't want you to climb the rock,", but many showed no respect for Tjukurrpa.

Now Uluru is closed and visitors tour its base. The Anangu, who feel a deep affinity with their environment, can 'feel' rested.