Elcho Island
| Elcho Island | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Waters | Arafura lake | |
| Archipelago | Wessel Islands | |
| Geographical location | 11 ° 59 ′ S , 135 ° 42 ′ E | |
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| length | 51 km | |
| width | 8.5 km | |
| surface | 278.3 km² | |
| Highest elevation | 44 m | |
| Residents | 2200 7.9 inhabitants / km² |
|
| main place | Galiwinku | |
Elcho Island is an island off the east coast of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia . Most of the Aboriginal Galiwin'ku live on Elcho Island.
geography
The island is located in the east of the Arnhem Land region , at the southern end of the Wessel Islands , also known as the Elcho Island Group by the Australian government . The island is separated from the Napier Peninsula by the Cadell Strait, which is only 700 meters wide at its narrowest point . Elcho Island and the neighboring islands of Graham of the Wessel Archipelago, Drysdale , Burgunngura and Stevens Island are located around 550 kilometers (as the crow flies) northeast of Darwin . Sand dunes and cliffs can be found on the coast of Elcho Island . Elcho Island is the largest island in the archipelago with an area of 278.3 km². With a length of 51 km, it is a maximum of 8.5 km wide. The main town Galiwinku is at the southwest end. It evolved from a Methodist mission station in the early 1940s. Galiwinku is also the local name for the entire island. The vegetation consists mainly of eucalyptus trees and mangroves in areas influenced by the tides .
At the southern tip of the island near Galiwinku there has been an airstrip since the Second World War , because the sparsely populated northern coast of Australia was considered a likely target by Japanese combat units. This resulted in today's Elcho Island Airport , which can be reached from Darwin.
population
With 2156 inhabitants, Galiwinku is one of the largest Aboriginal settlements in northeastern Arnhem Land , where numerous Yolngu clans live and 22 different dialects are spoken, mainly Djambarrpuyngu and Gupapuyngu , both from the Yolngu Matha language family .
In addition to the main town Galiwinku, there are 12 other settlements ( family outstations ) on the island , including Gäwa on the northern tip of the island (from north to south):
- Nanyingburra
- Gawa (Gäwa)
- Banthula (Gampura)
- Djurranalpi (Djanalpi)
- Dharawa
- Gitan
- Gulmarri
- Watdagawuy
- Dhayirri
- Ngayawilli (First Creek)
- Dhudupu
- Galawarra
In order to get to the island, an Aboriginal permit must be obtained in advance from the Northern Land Council or directly from the Galiwin'ku Council . There is an unrestricted alcohol ban on the island and the only fuel available for vehicles is opal , a substitute for fuels with lower proportions of aromatics .
The settlements were established by the Methodist Mission in 1942 as Aboriginal mission stations connected to the Milingimbi mission station . The mission stations were taken over by the Aborigines in 1974 and self-administered.
Culture
About 150 Aboriginal people on the island create a wide range of handicrafts and works of art from items found in the island's bushland and beaches that date back to a thousand-year-old culture. Her traditional works include so-called good morning poles, didgeridoos , bark painting, coolamons , mats, fishing nets, carving of bones and shells. They also apply their designs to modern designs. The artistic works of the islanders are strongly colored and are distributed nationally and internationally.
Their dances and chants go back to their traditions in the dream time . The island's Aborigines produced musicians who play in the Australian bands Warumpi Band and Yothu Yindi . They perform their dances with body painting.
The singer and musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu , known in Australia, comes from the island. The American musician and composer Graham Wiggins lived on Elcho Island for several months in the early 1990s to study the musical style of the Galiwin'ku culture.
Events are held for tourists and there are accommodation options on the island.
administration
Like the entire archipelago of the Wessel Islands, Elcho Island is administratively part of the Gumurr Marthakal Ward district of the Local Government Areas in the Northern Territory of East Arnhem Shire .
Individual evidence
- ↑ ( page no longer available , search in web archives: BroomeBay-Australia )
- ↑ Island Directory (website) : Un System-wide earthwatch web site of the Island Directory. Islands of Australia, accessed March 14, 2011
- ^ Aboriginal Art Online
- ^ Elcho Island group. (No longer available online.) Northern Territory Government, 2011, pp. 105-108 , archived from the original March 20, 2011 ; accessed on March 12, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from December 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Northern Territory Government BushTel: Galiwinku
- ↑ about-australia.com ( Memento of the original from November 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Elcho Island Art and Craft , accessed March 15, 2011
- ↑ Bruce Elder : A tradition that just keeps growing (English), The Sydney Morning Herold, October 25, 2010, accessed March 15, 2011
- ↑ artcollector.com ( Memento of the original dated February 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Elcho Island Art , accessed March 15, 2011
