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Kata Tjuṯa (Pitjantjatjara: Kata Tjuṯa, lit. 'many heads'; ), also known as The Olgas and officially gazetted as Kata TjutaMount Olga, is a group of large, domed or located about southwest of Alice Springs, in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. Uluṟu / Ayers Rock, located to the east, and Kata Tjuṯa / The Olgas form the two major landmarks within the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. The park is considered sacred to the local Aboriginal community.
The 36 domes that make up Kata Tjuṯa / Mount Olga cover an area of are composed of conglomerate, a sedimentary rock consisting of cobbles and boulders of varying rock types including granite and basalt, cemented by a matrix of coarse sandstone. The highest dome, Mount Olga, is above sea level, or approximately above the surrounding plain ( higher than Uluṟu). Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park Visitors Guide . Retrieved 26 April 2013 Kata Tjuṯa is located at the eastern end of the Docker River Road.
The alternative name, The Olgas, comes from the tallest peak, Mount Olga. At the behest of Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, Mount Olga was named in 1872 by Ernest Giles, in honour of Queen Olga of Württemberg (born Grand Duchess Olga of Russia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas I). She and her husband, King Charles I of Württemberg, had marked their 25th wedding anniversary the previous year by, among other things, naming Mueller a Freiherr (baron), making him Ferdinand von Mueller. The naming was his way of repaying the compliment. Whitlam Institute, University of Western Sydney . Retrieved 28 March 2007
On 15 December 1993, a dual naming policy was adopted that allowed official names consisting of both the traditional Pitjantjatjara name and the English name. As a result, Mount Olga was renamed Mount Olga / Kata Tjuṯa. On 6 November 2002, following a request from the Regional Tourism Association, the order of the dual names was officially reversed, to Kata Tjuṯa / Mount Olga. Northern Territory Government — NT Place Names Register . Retrieved 17 November 2007
Both Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are made of sediment originating in this Mount Currie Conglomerate and both have a chemical composition similar to granite. Scientists using Rubidium-strontium dating techniques to date the rock accurately have given it an age of 600 million years, matching the date of the Woodroffe Thrust event. The actual fresh rock that makes up the Kata Tjuṯa / Olgas and Uluṟu / Ayers Rock is medium to dark grey with green or pink hues in some laminae. The bright orange-red hue, for which the structures are noted, is due to a patina over finely divided feldspar coated in iron oxide.
Kata Tjuṯa / Mount Olga has both a sunrise and sunset viewing area, which are accessible via a short walk from Kata Tjuṯa Road. There are also two walks that enter the domes of Kata Tjuta:
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