Twenty years on Twenty acres Twenty kms west of Alice Springs

The video of the presentation Twenty years on Twenty acres Twenty kms west of Alice Springs  for the Eremos 2025 AGM is now available to view here: https://youtu.be/Z_zcbfWK_0w

Presented by Keith Castle and Stella Hayes on 23 November 2025.

Stella and Keith share some of the people and places that have changed them deeply living in Central Australia. They speak of living by the oldest mountain range in the world, which Stella described as ‘wise old woman country’ and coming to pay attention to small things. They shared the impact of being welcomed by and learning from the Arrernte people and coming to know the stories ‘which are not ours’ but have been shared with them.

00:00 Introduction by Celia Kemp
03:05 Stella Hayes begins her presentation
04:52 Slides begin
31:45 Keith Castle begins his presentation

Warning: Images of people who are deceased are in this presentation.

About the speakers

Almost two decades ago, Keith and Stella Castle relocated from Hornsby in suburban Sydney to live on Arrernte Country on the outskirts of Alice Springs, at Ilwempe-Ilwempe, Mpwaltye Arntaye, aka ‘White Gums’, Honeymoon Gap. As well as working in local organisations (Keith in community development and Stella as a psychologist) they have lovingly nurtured White gums as a place of community, and cultural and spiritual engagement.

In 2014 and 2016, they hosted ‘Edge of the Sacred’ gatherings, fostering conversation between indigenous and non-indigenous voices. People travelled from far and wide to participate. Edge of the Sacred gatherings aspired to reflect on the context and circumstances of our current relationship with the land. Sessions were led by local Aboriginal speakers along with some non-Aboriginal people who are passionately focused on listening to place.

Rachael Kohn attended the ‘Edge of the Sacred’ in 2016 and made two ABC Radio National programs for The Spirit of Things,  interviewing participants and speakers. Here are the links: 

Listening to the Land January 2017

Come together AUG 2016  Keith and Stella feature on this towards the end of the Podcast. 

In 2020, they hosted the inaugural Ghost Gum Rhythm and Blues festival, an open-air live music event featuring numerous local artists. This has become an annual event, celebrating the rich diversity of the Central Australian community.

In 2015, Keith and Stella provided logistical support for the first ever European tour of the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir, made up of women from remote desert communities singing in English, Western Arrernte and Pitjantjatjara. It was a profound experience for all (https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/watch/1268042307847).

In 2018, they did it for a US tour. Later, Keith was invited to join the choir, and recently they toured Australia. Singing with these women, he describes, is the greatest honour of his life.