YOU MAY have memories of "climbing The Rock", or be one of the visitors to Uluru who preferred to experience the landmark from ground level.
But from October 2019 no-one will be allowed to climb the sacred rock, after the board of the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park voted to close the climb to the summit of the rock.
The historical decision to close Uluru to climbers was described as "righting a historic wrong" by the director of the Central Land Council David Ross.
"This decision has been a very long time coming and our thoughts are with the elders who have longed for this day but are no longer with us to celebrate it," Mr Ross said.
Uluru's management had been urged to close the rock permanently to climbers, with senior traditional owner and leader Sammy Wilson saying the sacred rock was "not a theme park like Disneyland".
Mr Wilson, who is also chairman of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Management, said it was time to close the rock to climbers.
For years the Anangu, the local Indigenous owners, felt as if they had a "gun to our heads" to keep the rock open, he told the board.
The 12-member board that manages the park, which includes eight Indigenous representatives, voted to close the climb permanently, while keeping the park open to tourists.
"The land has law and culture. We welcome tourists here. Closing the climb is not something to feel upset about but a cause for celebration," Mr Wilson said.
Director of National Parks Sally Barnes said while there has been a significant reduction in the numbers of people wanting to climb, to less than 20 per cent, there were now "many alternative activities on place on the ground that people can enjoy instead of climbing."
"This is a significant moment for all Australians and marks a new chapter in our history. It clearly says we put country and culture first when managing this place for all Australians and our visitors from around the world," she added.
A decade ago, 38 per cent of visitors climbed, and recent figures provided to Fairfax Media indicated that about 20 per cent climbed.
A Parks Australia spokeswoman said the park was nearly always fully occupied, and she believed that the closure of the rock to climbers would be welcomed by some overseas tour operators.
