Location: From Well 22 (n.n. Madaleri) on northern side of Lake Disappointment, southwestward to the vicinity of Canning Stock Route Well 12 (n.n. Pulpurumal), westward on the south side of the Rudall River to Robertson Range and eastern headwaters of the Jiggalong Creek, also the headwaters of Savory Creek; southwestern boundary not well known; much of their territory is said to be covered with parallel sand dunes. Their earlier pre-white contact movements were from the east of Lake Disappointment. About 1890 Kartudjara pressure from the southeast forced the Niabali to retreat from the northern vicinity of Savory Creek to Balfour Downs, a distance of about 60 miles (100 km.). The Kartudjara then came north to water at Wadurara on Rudall River; their northern boundary as mapped is the fringe of the mulga country where it changes to the spinifex plain occupied by the Wanman and Njangamarda. Mardo is a term applied to Kartudjara as well as other tribes in this area; it indicates they are fully initiated people and has no tribal significance. Another term that has been attached for many years to this and some neighboring tribes is Tjargudi (Djargudi, Jargudi, Targudi, Targoodi). It seems not to be a tribal name but an elusive general term. According to Bates (1913) 'djargurdi' in Wadjari means a 'northerly direction.' It seems to play a similar but opposite role to the term Julbaritja, i.e., 'southerners' applied to peoples who have shifted north out of the Great Western Desert.
Co-ordinates: 121°50'E x 23°15'S
Area: 10,000 sq. m. (26,000 sq. km.)
References: Brown, 1912; Bates, 1913; Connelly, 1932; Worms, 1952 MS (in letter); Tindale, 1940, 1953 MS, 1966 MS; Lindquist, 1961; Berndt, 1957, 1959, 1964; J. Calaby, 1958 pers. comm.; Berndt and Berndt, 1964.
Alternative Names: Katudjara, Katatjara, Kardudjara, Gadudjara, Walmala (of Niabali), Orailku (of Nangatara), Ngadari (['ngatari] = strangers).