Bickerton Island is 13 km west of

Groote Eylandt Groote Eylandt ( Anindilyakwa: ''Ayangkidarrba''; meaning "island" ) is the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria and the fourth largest island in Australia. It was named by the explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 and is Dutch for "large island" ...

and 8 km east of the mouth of Blue Mud Bay in eastern

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territorial capital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compa ...

, in the Northern Territory of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. It is about 21 by 21 kilometres in size, with deep bays and indentations, and has an area of 215 km². The largest bays are South Bay and North Bay. Bickerton Island was named by

Matthew Flinders Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer, navigator and cartographer who led the first littoral zone, inshore circumnavigate, circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then ...

for Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton, Bt. Flinders actually called it "Bickerton's Island", and noted as follows in Voyage to Terra Australis II: "In passing the south side of Bickerton's Island, we observed in it a deep bight or bay which would afford shelter in the north-west monsoon, if there be depth sufficient for a ship; and the hills at the back being high and woody, there was a probability of its receiving a stream of fresh water. The country round the entrance of the bight, had the appearance of being sandy and sterile." The Aboriginal community of Milyakburra was established in 1975 as a family outstation. It is located on the eastern side of South Bay, beside Bickerton Island Airport. At th
2011 census
the population of Bickerton Island was 176 (88% of whom were Aboriginal), all at Milyakburra. The Milyakburra Community Council was incorporated in 1983 and funded to provide some local government services. It was incorporated as an NT association on 19 September 2002.ASIC Records
/ref> Since 1 July 2008, the local government for Bickerton Island is the East Arnhem Region. Bickerton is in the Anindiyakwa Ward of the Shire. Bickerton Island is privately owned Aboriginal land. The landowners are represented by the Anindiyakwa Land Council in Angurugu on

. There is an Airport on the island .

References

Islands of the Northern Territory Groote Eylandt Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory Private islands of Australia {{NorthernTerritory-geo-stub