Kernot Range

The Kernot Range is a small mountain range in the south of the Northern Territory, Australia. It is located in the Angas Downs Indigenous Protected Area, near the junction of the Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road. The range consists of a singe ridge of deformed sedimentary rock, running in a northwest-southeasterly direction for about 18 km.

The Kernot Range was named by the explorer W. H. Tietkens when he reached the area on 18 July 1889. He named it after William Charles Kernot, a professor at the University of Melbourne. He named Mount Thompson, the highest peak in the north-western end of the range, after a politician from Victoria, H. M. Thompson.

The hills are culturally important to southern Luritja people, many of whom live in the surrounding area. The most important ceremonial site in the Kernot Range is Wilbia (also spelled Wilpia or Wilpiya). This is a clearing at the south-eastern end of the range that contains a soakage. The soak is a reliable source of water and an important place to many families living across the Luritja homeland. The site is connected with similar Dreaming sites at Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa. Wilbia is often used for rituals and ceremonies, including initiations.