Uluru  Uluru (, Pitjantjatjara: ' /ˈʊ.lʊ.ɻʊ/), also known as Ayers Rock (, like "airs") and officially gazetted as UluruAyers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area. The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Uluru and Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. The local Anangu, the Pitjantjatjara people, call the landmark "Uluṟu" (). This word is a proper noun, with no further particular meaning in the Pitjantjatjara dialect, although it is used as a local family name by the senior Traditional Owners of Uluru. On 19 July 1873, the surveyor William Gosse sighted the landmark and named it Ayers Rock in honour of the then Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers. Since then, both names have been used. In 1993, a dual naming policy was adopted that allowed official names that consist of both the traditional Aboriginal name and the English name. On 15 December 1993, it was renamed "Ayers Rock / Uluru" and became the first official dual-named feature in the Northern Territory. The order of the dual names was officially reversed to "Uluru / Ayers Rock" on 6 November 2002 following a request from the Regional Tourism Association in Alice Springs. Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural landmarks. The sandstone formation stands high, rising above sea level with most of its bulk lying underground, and has a total perimeter of . Both Uluru and the nearby Kata Tjuta formation have great cultural significance for the Aṉangu people, the traditional inhabitants of the area, who lead walking tours to inform visitors about the local flora and fauna, bush food and the Aboriginal dreamtime stories of the area. Uluru is notable for appearing to change colour at different times of the day and year, most notably when it glows red at dawn and sunset.