Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land is an area of 97,000 km² in the north-eastern corner of the
Northern Territory,
Australia. Until the mid-
1950s under direct rule from the territory capital
Darwin, it is now controlled by the
Northern Land Council on behalf of the local
Aboriginal inhabitants. It extends from
Port Roper on the
Gulf of Carpentaria around the coast to the
East Alligator River where it adjoins
Kakadu National Park. The major centres are Jabiru on the
Kakadu National Park border and
Maningrida on the Liverpool River mouth. The region was named by
Matthew Flinders after the
Dutch ship
Arnhem which explored the coast in
1623.
The climate of Arnhem Land is tropical, with a wet and dry season. Temperatures range from overnight lows of 15 degrees Celsius in the dry season (April to September) to daily highs of 33 degrees Celsius in the wet season (October to March).
Arnhem Land also contains the
Gove Peninsula on its north east corner.
Gove is the site of large scale
Bauxite mining with an associated
Alumina refinery. Its administative centre is the town of
Nhulunbuy, the fourth-largest population centre in the Northern Territory.
Arnhem Land is notable for its
Aboriginal rock-art, at
Ubirr Rock and in the
Canon Hill area. Some of these record early presence of Europeans, sometimes in such detail that
Martini-Henry rifles can be identified. Other items depicted include axes, detailed paintings of aircraft and ships. In one remote shelter, several hundred kilometers from Darwin, there is a depiction of the whole wharf at Darwin, including buildings and boats, the Europeans themselves being painted, with their hats and pipes, some without hands (which they have in their trouser pockets); one human figure near the East Alligator River crossing is painted with a gun and long pigtails down his back, identifiable as one of the Chinese labourers brought to Darwin in the late 19th century.
Arnhem Land is also the home of the members of the influential rock band
Yothu Yindi, many of whose members are Indigenous Australians.
Arnhem Land is notable also for the temporary
ground paintings ritualistically created by indigenous inhabitants of Arnhem Land.
