Bickerton Island is 13 km west of Groote Eylandt and 8 km east of the mouth of

Blue Mud Bay Blue Mud Bay is a large, shallow, partly enclosed bay on the eastern coast of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia, facing Groote Eylandt on the western side of the Gulf of Carpentaria. It lies east-south-east of Darwin in the ...

in eastern

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

, in the Northern Territory of Australia. 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 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 The East Arnhem Region is a local government area of the Northern Territory, Australia, governed by the East Arnhem Regional Council. Situated in the far north-eastern corner of the Northern Territory, the region covers an area of and had a pop ...

. 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 Groote Eylandt. 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