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Standing 20m high atop Memory Mountain, along the MacDonnell Ranges in remote Northern Territory about 200km west of Alice Springs, is a symbol of faith, hope and forgiveness – a cross.

Opened to the public on Good Friday on April 7, the ‘Forgiveness Cross’ was the culmination of a project that started more than 12 years ago to help the community of Haasts Bluff (Ikuntji) fulfil their dream of seeing a large cross on top of the mountain, according to Vision Christian Media.

“Let there be light!” exclaimed Ikuntji Elder Kieran Malta, as the cross was dedicated and illuminated on the day of commemoration of Jesus Christ’s passion and death on the cross – two days before the celebration of His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Photographer and founder of Walk a While Foundation, Ken Duncan, worked alongside indigenous elders to turn the community’s dream into a reality. Almost $2 million were raised to build the cross, despite the challenges of erecting a 20m corten steel structure in a remote area as well as project delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, budget and approval factors.

The project was funded entirely by private donors, after Duncan’s unsuccessful requests for funding from the Northern Territory government and Tourism Australia. As a show of thanks, some donors were given memorabilia from the 2004 hit biblical film The Passion of the Christ, signed by director Mel Gibson who is also a childhood friend of Duncan.

The ‘Forgiveness Cross’ initiative will bring job opportunities to the local community, with plans to develop camping and glamping sites for tourists on Memory Mountain. Members of the community will give guided tours to get up to the cross and around the mountain.

An Emblem of Faith

The cross was built in tribute to four young indigenous missionaries who spread the gospel to the western desert region in 1923 – which, in providential timing, was exactly 100 years ago. Memory Mountain, where the Ikuntji people heard the words of Christ for the first time, was named in ‘memory’ of this historical Christian event.

“[The project] was something driven by the Indigenous people, not white missionaries, so there’s a monument at the base of that mountain for those four Indigenous evangelists, and some of the Elders involved are descendants of those evangelists,” Duncan told NT News.

Past Elder Nebo Jugadai was the first to approach Duncan about the idea of building a cross, telling him that “we want people to know that our nation and our place is covered by Jesus”.

The cross stands high and mighty at the very heart and centre of the nation in Central Australia. It can also serve as a reminder of Australia’s Christian roots following European colonisation, and a hope for her return from increasing secularisation to being a God-fearing people.

An Indigenous Voice

This news brings positivity amid a time of national debate on the Voice to Parliament, an upcoming referendum that will decide on amending the constitution to recognise Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders through a representative body, a ‘Voice’, that would advise Parliament on matters of indigenous affairs.

One side of the polarising issue sees the advantage of constitutionally recognising and consulting with indigenous Australians. The other side is concerned primarily about the process of implementing this, arguing that the Voice will divide the country by race and create another bureaucracy that diverts attention away from the root problems within indigenous communities.

But instead of focusing on a bureaucratic ‘Voice’, what about the voices of everyday indigenous Australians? What about the voices of indigenous Christians?

“[The cross] was their ‘voice’ – this is what they want to do,” Duncan explained. It is a powerful testament to indigenous communities using their voice to inspire action and work towards a common goal, with or without the government’s help.

Among those in attendance at the opening were NT Attorney-General Chansey Paech and NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, who also commended the community’s unified effort towards the “historic moment”.

“Often the Northern Territory and indigenous people are put in the national spotlight, but not in a positive way. What is wonderful about this weekend and the future here is that this is local decision-making – this is community coming together in achieving this, and we need to recognise that and support that,” Fyles said.

Supporters of the Canberra Declaration have been contributing to the fund and praying for the successful construction of the cross for almost a decade. Its fruition after many years of advocacy has become a cause for hope and celebration among Christians in Australia – indigenous and non-indigenous alike.

The giant cross is a monumental display of Christianity and the Ikuntji people’s faith in God. Especially during the Easter season, may it likewise be a reminder to residents and tourists alike of the greatest love story ever told – that in His profound love and mercy, Christ died on the cross for our sins, but through His resurrection gave us the hope of eternal life.

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Photo: Screenshot via Harvest Journeys/Youtube.