Due to its links with the Northern Territory and proximity to the border, the APY Lands do not observe daylight savings unlike the rest of South Australia.

The community straddles the Officer Creek, which in turn flows from South Australia's highest mountain, Ngarutjaranya.

In September 1873 during his second trip into the South Australian interior, he and another party member, William Tietkens, encountered 200 male Aboriginal men.

[7] Harold Brown established the first European settlement in 1934 when he was granted the water permit for the Shirley Well block, 60 kilometres south of Ernabella.

Brown sank a successful well near Officer Creek, south of the Musgrave Ranges, and claimed the government reward.

He constructed a mud hut and a dug-out dwelling at Shirley Well and ran some sheep, but continued to make long dogging trips westwards.

[8] The South Australian Government resumed Brown's lease in 1939, and Ernabella (now Pukatja) gained grazing rights there.

Aboriginal people were camped at Shirley Well permanently, which made it easy to expand the sheep industry to include this area.

The aim of the outstation was to provide training in cattle work and for the families to have access to traditional country in the sandhills to the west.

This camp involved a few days stay in Fregon where students would learn a little bit of local culture and language.

Pipes were temporarily capped, but elder Witjiti George said that he hoped the water could be used to support a cattle herd, helping to create jobs and an ongoing industry for isolated communities.

It will accommodate officers with specialist response capabilities, as well provide a base for a mobile unit which will be deployed in Kaltjiti, Indulkana and Pipalyatjara.

[13][14] The 2019–2020 Government of South Australia agency budget estimates the completion date as June 2021, with a total spend of A$4.28 million.

[citation needed] The desalination plant was commissioned in 2005 by SA Water and has a total capacity of 160 kilolitres (5,700 cu ft) per day.

A mobile polling booth visits Kaltjiti every 4 years for elections of the Parliament of South Australia.