Gove Peninsula

Coordinates: 12°17′0″S 136°49′0″E / 12.28333°S 136.81667°E / -12.28333; 136.81667
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Gunyangara
)

Gove Peninsula
Federal division(s)
Lingiari

The Gove Peninsula is at the northeastern corner of

native title over their traditional lands in 1971, after the Australian Government had granted a mineral lease to a bauxite
mining company without consulting the local peoples. Today the land is owned by the Yolngu people.

Location

Nanydjaka (Cape Arnhem Coast)

The Gove Peninsula is on the west coast of the

Aboriginal-owned land on the Northern Territory coastline. The township of Nhulunbuy is the main commercial and service centre of the Peninsula and is 600 kilometres east of Darwin
.

History

Modern

As Europeans started land exploration throughout the

Yolngu homelands, conflicts with the Yolngu became more frequent. In 1931, an area of 96,000 square kilometres (37,000 sq mi) was proclaimed as an Aboriginal reserve, named Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve.[1]

Land on the peninsula was famously part of the 1971

Yolngu people, claimed they enjoyed sovereignty over their land, and sought the freedom to occupy their lands.[4] The ruling went against them, as native title in Australia had not yet been recognised, but the principles on which the case were based were overturned in the Mabo case 21 years later.[3]

Today the Land Trust holds about 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 sq mi) as Aboriginal freehold land (with the exception of mining leases).[1]

The Gove Peninsula was heavily involved in the defence of Australia during

Drimmie Head. The Peninsula derives its name from a RAAF navigator who died in a mid-air collision.[1]

Geography

Topography

The Gove Peninsula is nearly pristine, apart from Nhulunbuy, along with the

monsoon forests and rocky escarpments stretched across its huge area, as well as many beaches, bays and islands.[6]

Melville Bay (12°15′S 136°42′E / 12.25°S 136.70°E / -12.25; 136.70) is the large bay between the peninsula and the mainland, and there are many unnamed beaches both within the bay and on the western side of the peninsula, as well as named beaches (such as

Wallaby Beach).[7]
Other popular locations around the peninsula include:[6]

  • Nanydjaka (Cape Arnhem)[8][9]
  • Lurrupukurru (Oyster Beach)[9]
  • Rangura (Caves Beach)[10]
  • Baringura (Little Bondi)[11]
  • Ngumuy (Turtle Beach)[12]
  • Garanhan (Macassan(s) Beach)[13]
  • Binydjarrŋa/Daliwuy (Daliwoi) Bay[14]

There are three coastal

walking trails: Daliwuy to Garanhan (3-kilometre (1.9 mi)), Garanhan to Ngumuy (2.5-kilometre (1.6 mi)) and Ngumuy to Baringura (1.5-kilometre (0.93 mi)). Informative signposts explaining Yolngu culture's relationship to the land is provided on these marked trails.[6]

Ecosystem and coastal waters

Ecosystems on the Gove Peninsula and in its coastal waters are of great conservation significance, being largely undisturbed due to isolation, huge area and sparse population. The waters provide a shallow-water tropical

Place names

Some place names were assigned to various places on the northern coast of Australia by the

Second World War was the first place to be named Gove, after Pilot Officer William Gove, who was killed on 20 April 1943 in an air accident on the peninsula.[16]

In the late 1960s and through the 1970s, many Yolngu people objected to the renaming of many places with English names, including Nhulunbuy. They presented a bark

Wäwilak and then Mandhalpuy. Eventually the Yolngu prevailed and the name Nhulunbuy was retained, but within the town, there are only two other Yolngu-derived names: Wuyal Road and the Rotary Marika Lookout, named after Dr Marika's father, Roy Marika.[16]

Climate

Situated just

Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory tropics recognise two distinct seasons, the dry season from May to October, and the wet from November to April. During the dry, temperatures range from 15 to 18 degrees Celsius at night to 28 to 30 degrees Celsius during the day. There is virtually no rainfall, clear blue skies and cool ocean breezes. The wet season brings the monsoon weather with hot and humid days ranging from 31 to 35 degrees Celsius and warm nights.[17]

Yolngu seasons

Yolngu however recognise eight seasons derived from changing behaviours and patterns apparent in the land,

flora and fauna, as follows:[citation needed
]

Demographics

On the night of the

2001 Census there were 13,080 people living in the East Arnhem region, which covers most of the Gove Peninsula. Of these 60.7% were Aboriginal people.[citation needed
]

Population Percentage
Total Persons 13,080 -
Total Indigenous persons 7,940 60.7%
Males 3,905 49.2%
Females 4,035 50.8%

On the night of the 2001 Census there were 3,766 people living in the "Urban Centre" of Nhulunbuy. Of these 7.3% were Indigenous.

Population Percentage
Total Persons 3,766 -
Total Indigenous persons 275 7.3%
Males 2,135 56.7%
Females 1,631 43.3%

Based on a 2004 NT Government Socio-Economic Snapshot, there is a population of 14,115 within the Gove Peninsula (East Arnhem Region), of which almost 64% are Indigenous people, and a population of nearly 4,000 in Nhulunbuy, the majority being non-Indigenous people. Those people not living in Nhulunbuy live in surrounding communities and traditional homelands. In the five years to 2004, the population declined in Nhulunbuy and Groote Eylandt and increased in the non-urban areas.[citation needed]

At the

Torres Strait Islander, and 1.9% both.[19]

Yolngu people

Owned by the

traditional Aboriginal owners
, the Yolngu people, it is a place rich in culture with Yolngu maintaining strong ties with their land, religion and traditions.

Rather than the name of a clan or family group, Yolngu is the word that Aboriginal people from East Arnhem Land, including the Gove Peninsula, use to refer to themselves. The main five clan groups of the region are Gumatj, Rirratjingu, Djapu, Madarrpa and Dhalwangu.[17]

The prominent Marika family, many from Yirrkala, includes a number of artists and

Roy Dadaynga Marika (c.1925– 1993); and Wandjuk Marika (1927–1987).[20] Educator and linguist Raymattja Marika (c.1959 – 11 May 2008) was NT Australian of the Year in 2007.[21]

Yingiya Mark Guyula is the only independent Indigenous member of parliament in the Northern Territory as of 2020, representing the electoral division of Mulka, formerly the electoral division of Nhulunbuy.

The Yolngu people call white people "

Dutch person).[6]

Communities

Governance

There are 10 local councils in the region which administer the townships of Nhulunbuy and Angurugu and a number of local communities that primarily service Indigenous people.

Economy

Mining

Nhulunbuy is a purpose-built town developed by the former owner of

alumina refinery 15 km (9.3 mi). The town is built on a Special Purpose Lease on Aboriginal land and as of 2007 was the largest town in East Arnhem Land, the fourth largest town in the Northern Territory and the administrative centre for the region.[17]

The Commonwealth Government carried out mineral explorations in the 1950s and was successful in discovering a bauxite deposit that covered 65 square kilometres (25 sq mi) and contained an estimated 250 million tonnes. After initial resistance to mining by the government Nabalco was set up and was granted a lease with a commitment to build a township, port facility and mine.[citation needed] The construction of the mine lead to the Gove land rights case (see above), which initially resulted in ruling in favour of the mineral company.

The market economy of the Gove Peninsula was centred on the Alcan Gove Mine, located on leasehold land within the boundaries of Aboriginal freehold land. In November 2013 Rio Tinto announced the closure of the mine associated alumina refinery (but not the bauxite mine) in July 2014 with the loss of 1,100 jobs, or almost 25% of the town's population.[31] The population had already dropped by mid 2014, with some of the workforce retained to monitor the shutdown and survey holding ponds full of toxic compounds but most will be gone by January 2015.[32] A range of measures were announced to support the town and its former workers through the closure and the following three years, but locals anticipated further cuts to services since the school, hospital, power plant and flights were backed by Rio Tinto.[33] The closure of the mine also left flights on the Darwin-Nhulunbuy route to fall to around 50-60% full, causing Qantas to suspend flights on the route from 17 August 2015.[32]

Rio Tinto announced that the bauxite mine would be closed by 2030 or sooner.[34]

Spaceport

The Arnhem Space Centre has created employment for local people, and brought NASA staff and many tourists to the town when three rockets were launched in mid-2022, booking out accommodation for weeks. The longterm future of the site is not known, but the owners of the project, Equatorial Launch Australia, has indicated that there are other space companies interested in using the rocket launch pad, and NASA has confirmed that it will use the facility again in the future.[34]

Transport

The old airport terminal at Gove Airport.

It is possible to hire four wheel drives, conventional vehicles or bicycles in Nhulunbuy and an airport bus and taxi company service the town.

Air

Sign commemorating Gove Airport's World War II service.

The Gove Airport is located 13 km from the town centre of Nhulunbuy. AirNorth has a daily flight to Gove from Cairns and Darwin which then connect to cities around the world. Qantas used to run a daily flight but when the refinery closed they discontinued this service.[32] The Cairns – Gove flight is 1 hour and 40 minutes duration and Darwin – Gove is 1 hour and 10 minutes.[35]

Road

The most direct route to Nhulunbuy from a major Highway is via the Central Arnhem Road which leaves the Stuart Highway 52km south of Katherine. The first 30 kilometres are sealed and then the rest is a gravel road. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended, particularly for the two major river crossings, the Wilton River near Bulman Aboriginals Community and the Goyder River, about 300 kilometres from Nhulunbuy. Fuel needs to be carried as travellers may not be able to purchase fuel along the way. The Central Arnhem Road is 682 kilometres long, plus the 52 kilometres from Katherine to the turnoff makes a long drive, approximately 8 or 9 hours drive with good conditions. Travellers require a permit as the road runs across many Yolngu Clan lands.

Education

Nhulunbuy has one public primary school, which incorporates pre-school, and one public secondary school which provides education to a Year 12 level. There is also a private school, Nhulunbuy Christian College,[36] which provides education from Transition to Year 10. Yirrkala has a primary school which supports further afield community schools.

Society and culture

Yolngu culture and ties to the land are still very strong and sacred. Many people still live mainly a traditional life. The

Elcho Island Arts, producing work that is known worldwide.[6]

Music

Arnhem Land, including the Gove Peninsula, is home to what is commonly referred to as the didgeridoo, known as the yidaki locally, and Yolngu are master players and craftsmen of the instrument. In this region, the rhythms, techniques and compositions endemic to the people are of outstanding musical interest.[citation needed]

Didgeridoos from north-east Arnhem Land are instruments of the highest cultural integrity. The use of the didgeridoo in this part of Australia continues as an unbroken tradition since time immemorial. In recent times, the

Eucalyptus ferruginea or Rusty Bloodwood.[37]

Sport and recreation

Sport is a big part of the lives of people in Nhulunbuy and there are facilities including a sports ground, golf course, yacht club, swimming pool, fishing club, surf-lifesaving club, speedway and skate park.

Sailing

Gove Harbour is a popular stop off point for yachts sailing the northern coast of Australia or heading to the countries to the north of Australia and beyond. Apart from the months of December to April when cyclones can affect the coast line, the waters surrounding the Gove Peninsula provide excellent sailing conditions.[citation needed] The Gove Boat Club is often packed full of visiting yachties from all over the world and the club often holds regattas and other annual events.

See also

Footnotes

  1. Snabs of Drimmie, near a headland opposite the village of Kingoodie in Perthshire, which has a very similar shape.[28]

References

  1. ^ a b c "History". East Arnhemland. Archived from the original on 27 June 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2007.
  2. ^ Wong, Tammy (2019–20). "Blackburn's "error": The Ngaliwurru Nungali (Timber Creek) Caseand the future of compensation in native title" (PDF). State Chambers.
  3. ^ .
  4. ^ "Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd (1971) 17 FLR 141". ATNS (Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements project). University of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  5. ^ Milman, Oliver (11 August 2014). "Boom and dust: uncertain future for the mining town run by Rio Tinto". the Guardian. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula, East Arnhem Land, NT". Gove Online. 28 December 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Melville Bay (33)". SLS Beachsafe. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Cape Arnhem (n)". SLS Beachsafe. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Cape Arnhem - Costa's Garden Odyssey on SBS". SBS TV. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Cape Arnhem (s17)". SLS Beachsafe. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  11. ^ "Little Bondi". SLS Beachsafe. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Turtle Beach". SLS Beachsafe. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Macassans Beach". SLS Beachsafe. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Binydjarrŋa (Daliwuy Bay)". East Arnhem Land. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Snapshot of the Northern Planning Area" (PDF). National Oceans Office. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2007.
  16. ^ . Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  17. ^ a b c "Alcan Gove. Investing in the Northern Territory", www.alcangove.com, Alcan, archived from the original on 28 September 2007
  18. ^ "2016 Census QuickStats: Nhulunbuy [SSC]". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  19. ^ "2016 Census QuickStats: Nhulunbuy [IREG]". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  20. ^ "The Marika family [Exhibition notes from Yalangbara: Art of the Djang'kawu]". National Museum of Australia. 29 July 2019.
  21. ^ "Raymattja Marika ‐ Teacher and linguist: NT State Recipient Australian of the Year 2007". Australian of the Year. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  22. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Yirrkala (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 13 October 2018. Edit this at Wikidata
  23. ^ a b "On the Gove Peninsula". Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  24. ^ "Gunyanara". Gunyangara Township Lease (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Gunyangara". PastMasters. 26 February 1978. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  26. ^ "Gunyangara". Google Maps. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  27. ^ "Place Names Register Extract: Drimmie Head". NT Place Names Register. NT Government. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  28. ^ "Longforgan to Kingoodie". Google Maps. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  29. ^ "Wallaby Beach". SLS Beachsafe. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  30. ^ a b Garrick, Matt (3 October 2020). "Djalu Gurruwiwi's family may be forced to leave their Arnhem Land community of Birritjimi". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  31. ^ McGrath, Pat (29 November 2013). "About 1,100 jobs cut as Rio Tinto suspends production at Gove alumina refinery in the Northern Territory". ABC Online. Retrieved 12 Feb 2014.
  32. ^ a b c Milman, Oliver (11 August 2014). "Boom and dust: uncertain future for the mining town run by Rio Tinto". the Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  33. ^ McGrath, Pat (29 November 2013). "Rio Tinto reveals rescue package for future of Nhulunbuy after alumina refinery closure". ABC Online. Retrieved 12 Feb 2014
  34. ^ a b Garrick, Matt (13 July 2022). "NASA's inaugural Northern Territory mission is over, but hopes for a space industry boom remain". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  35. ^ Australia Total Travel Guide - Accommodation, Tours, Flights & Maps Archived 2007-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ "Home". Nhulunbuy Christian College. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  37. ^ North-east Arnhem Land Didgeridoos |iDIDJ Australia Archived 2007-08-14 at the Wayback Machine

External links