What is Arnhem Land?
Arnhem Land is a large Aboriginal-owned region in the northeast of the Northern Territory, covering about 97,000 square kilometres. It is known for strong living cultures, rock art and bark painting.
Arnhem Land was declared an Aboriginal reserve in 1931, and today it is Aboriginal freehold land under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. Around 16,000 people live there, many in communities such as Maningrida, Yirrkala, Galiwinku, Ramingining and Gunbalanya.
The region was named by Matthew Flinders after the Dutch ship Arnhem, which visited the coast in 1623.
Art and culture
Arnhem Land is world famous for bark painting, fibre art and rock art. The rock art of western Arnhem Land includes some of the oldest and most detailed paintings in the world, depicting animals, spirits and changes over thousands of years.
The Yolngu of the northeast, the Bininj of the west and many other groups speak dozens of languages. Ceremonies, songs and dances remain central to daily life.
Visitors need permits from the Northern Land Council to enter most of Arnhem Land. Tourism is limited, which helps protect culture and environment, and fishing lodges and cultural tours operate under agreements with Traditional Owners.
Did You Know?
Macassan traders from Sulawesi visited Arnhem Land for centuries before European settlement to collect trepang.