Elcho Island, known to its

traditional owners Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have right ...

as Galiwin'ku (Galiwinku) is an island off the coast of

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 Compa ...

, in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. It is located at the southern end of the Wessel Islands group located in the East Arnhem Region. Galiwin'ku is also the name of the settlement where the island's largest community lives. Elcho Island formed part of the traditional lands of the Yan-nhaŋu, according to

Norman Tindale Norman Barnett Tindale AO (12 October 1900 – 19 November 1993) was an Australian anthropologist, archaeologist, entomologist and ethnologist. Life Tindale was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1900. His family moved to Tokyo and lived ther ...

. According to J. C. Jennison, the Aboriginal inhabitants were the

Dhuwal The Dhuwal are an indigenous Australian people of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory Language Dhuwal belongs to the Yolŋu-Matha branch of the Pama-Nyungan language family Country The Dhuwal were described by Norman Tindale in 1974 as one ...

, who called themselves the ''Kokalango Mala'' (''mala''=clan.)

Geography

Elcho Island is approximately long and across at its widest point. It is bounded on the western side by the

Arafura Sea The Arafura Sea (or Arafuru Sea) lies west of the Pacific Ocean, overlying the continental shelf between Australia and Western New Guinea (also called Papua), which is the Indonesian part of the Island of New Guinea. Geography The Arafura S ...

and on the east by the Cadell Strait. Elcho Island is a short distance away from the mainland and

Howard Island Howard Island is an island in the Arafura Sea, Northern Territory, Australia. It belongs to East Arnhem Region, and is evenly divided between ''Gumurr Gatjirrk Ward'' in the west and ''Gumurr Marthakal Ward'' in the east. The only settlements ...

. Galiwin'ku, located near the island's southern tip, is the main community on the island. It is the largest and most remote Aboriginal community in northeast Arnhem Land, the second largest Aboriginal community (in terms of concentrated population) in the Northern Territory, and ranks eleventh in population of the 69 local government bodies in the Territory. There are 60 ''mala'' or hereditary tribal groups, with up to 22 different dialects being used in the community. The

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...

is now Djambarrpuyngu. The people of Galiwin'ku, approximately 2,000 residents, retain their traditions and culture. These are passed to future generations by adherence to strict traditional methods and education, including a means to help them embrace the wider Australian community. There are also many outstations including

Inglis Island Inglis Island is the largest of a group called the English Company's Islands, in Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central ...

on the namesake island and Matamata, Maparru, and Gariyak on the mainland. The island has a base population of 2,200 people, including 70 non-Aboriginal people. It was the home of the late Aboriginal folk musician

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 – 25 July 2017), commonly known as Gurrumul and also referred to since his death as Dr G. Yunupingu, was an Aboriginal Australian musician of the Yolŋu peoples. A multi-instrumentalist, he played ...

. The population of Galiwin'ku varies during the seasons, with many outstation residents migrating to the community during the wet season due to inaccessibility. The community also serves approximately 25 outstations with a total population of approx. 450 people, with 12 of the outstations on Elcho Island, which are listed from north to south: # ''Nanyingburra'' # Gawa (Gäwa) # ''Ban'thula'' (Gampura) # ''Djurranalpi'' (Djanalpi) # ''Dharawa # ''Gitan'' # ''Gulmarri'' # ''Watdagawuy'' # ''Dhayirri'' # ''Dyawili'' (First Creek) # ''Dadupu'' # ''Galawarra'' Galiwin'ku is a traditional Aboriginal community with restricted access; permission to visit is required by law and can be made through the

Northern Land Council The Northern Land Council (NLC) is a land council representing the Aboriginal peoples of the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia, with its head office in Darwin. While the NLC was established in 1974, its origins began in the strugg ...

directly or via the Galiwin'ku Council. Total alcohol restrictions apply and there is no gasoline available on the island; all gasoline-powered vehicles use the low-aromatic petrol "

Opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline form ...

" as a fuel substitute. The settlement was originally established as a Methodist mission in 1942, with the arrival of Harold Shepherdson, a lay associate of the Methodist Overseas Mission from

Milingimbi Milingimbi Island, also Yurruwi, is the largest island of the Crocodile Islands group off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Location Milingimbi lies approximately east of Darwin and west of Nhulunbuy. History Aborig ...

. It remained under Church direction until 1974 when it became self-managed. Eighteen connected clan groups within the Elcho Island locale have close cultural ties with mainland Arnhem Land clans and language groups. The most commonly spoken languages are Djambarrpuyngu and Gupapuyngu (both Yolngu Matha languages). However, there are at least 12 more languages in use in the region. The island is served by

Elcho Island Airport Elcho Island Airport is an airport on Elcho Island Elcho Island, known to its traditional owners as Galiwin'ku (Galiwinku) is an island off the coast of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located at the southern ...

Geology

A "subsurface radial dyke swarm" of

dolerite Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro, is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-grain ...

known as Galiwinku Dolerite (named after the township) occurs on the Gove Peninsula and continues under the Arafura Sea and on the Wessel Islands, including Galiwinku and Milingimbi Islands. The layer of dolerite lies under the Mamadawerre Sandstone.

Population

According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 2,206 people in Elcho Island (counted as Galiwinku (State Suburb) in the Census Report). * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 94.0% of the population. * 97.7% of people were born in Australia. * 78.1% of people spoke Djambarrpuyngu at home. 4.9% of people only spoke English at home. * The most common response for religion was Uniting Church at 86.8%. * 42.2% of the population is under 20 years of age, with 14% over 50.

Services

The local government for Elcho Island is the

East Arnhem Regional Council 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 ...

(EARC), formed in 2008, which services a total of nine remote communities of Arnhem Land. The Council delivers a range of services across community services and commercial services and, in doing so, they aim to support the ongoing sustainability of their communities as well as to suppoty quality of life, employment and the provision of basic services. These services include: * Aged and disability service * Animal management * Cemetery management * Children and family services * Citizenship ceremonies * Commercial services * Community patrol * Environmental and waste services * Library: Galiwin'ku Community Library provides books, magazines and resources for the use of community members; also provided is free internet, activities for children and

local history Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context, often concentrating on a relatively small local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely national history writ small ...

information. Library services are provided to the community via Library & Archives NT and they are operated by local Indigenous Community Library Officers. In 2017 Galiwin'ku Library staff participated in Yolŋu Rom Napurrn Dhukarr: the Living Room Project, the development of a pilot classification system based on Yolngu knowledge, and replacing the Dewey Decimal System. * Local emergency management * Traffic management and local roads * Youth, sport and recreation

Education

Shepherdson College is a

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all ...

school, teaching around 700 students ranging from birth to year 12 in Djambarrpuyŋu and English. Like nine other schools in the NT (including Yirkala School), it aims to teach "Both-ways": Yolŋu and Balanda (white person's way). It is named after the

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Ella Shepherdson, who from 1943 taught students under a tree. Her husband, Rev. Harold Shepherdson, known as "Bäpa Sheppy" built the first school building with the help of Yolngu people, including one of Ella's first students. As a "Centre of Cultural Excellence", it teaches dance,

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile art ...

, music and crafts. Artist and senior land custodian of

Yalangbara Yalangbara is a coastal area in the East Arnhem (Miwatj) region of Australia's Northern Territory, around south of Nhulunbuy, the largest town in the area. It is on the country of the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolŋu people, and is one of the m ...

, Mawalan 2 Marika, has been working at the school.

Elcho Island Dancers

In 2007 a group of local Elcho Island dancers, the

Djuki Mala Djuki Mala, previously known as the Chooky Dancers, are a dance troupe from Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. They first came to attention through a YouTube video of them performing to Zorba the Greek while in ceremonial dress. Djuki Mala f ...

dancers, choreographed and performed a dance routine to

Zorba the Greek ''Zorba the Greek'' ( el, Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά, , Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) is a novel written by the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek int ...

. The performance was recorded and uploaded to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

on 2 November of that year; in six weeks the video received more than 360,000 views, averaging 8,000 a day. Due to this success the group toured parts of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

and performed in the

Art Gallery of New South Wales The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872 and known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958, is located in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It is the most import ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

in June 2008. They also appeared as the opening act at the

Melbourne International Comedy Festival The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is the largest stand-alone comedy festival and the second-largest international comedy festival in the world. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks, typical ...

Gala 2009.

Elcho Island Arts

Elcho Island Arts supports

Yolŋu The Yolngu or Yolŋu () are an aggregation of Aboriginal Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. ''Yolngu'' means "person" in the Yolŋu languages. The terms Murngin, Wulamba, Yalnumata, ...

artists in sharing their culture and allows them to derive an income from selling their artworks. It provides assistance in production and professional development for both emerging and established artists from Galiwin'ku and the surrounding Marthakal homelands, and helps to promote and distribute Yolngu art. The centre has been community-operated since 1992, and includes welll-known artists such as fibre artist Mavis Warrngilna Ganambarr, painter Peter Datjin Bararrwanga, carver and weaver Judy Manany and senior custodian of the Banumbirr Morning Star Pole, Gali Yalkarriwuy Gurruwiwi, among others. In 2018, Elcho Island Arts was relaunched under the direction of senior artists Ganambarr, Manany, Burarrwanga, and Gurruwiwi.

Discovery of an ancient coin

In 2018 a coin, thought to be from the medieval

Kilwa sultanate The Kilwa Sultanate ( fa, پادشاهی کیلوا) was a sultanate, centered at Kilwa (an island off modern-day, Kilwa District in Lindi Region of Tanzania), whose authority, at its height, stretched over the entire length of the Swahili Co ...

on the east coast of Africa was found on a beach on Elcho Island by archaeologist and member of the Past Masters, Mike Hermes. Similar coins have been found on Marchinbar Island, also in the Wessel Islands group.

Cultural references

Elcho Island was the inspiration for the song " My Island Home" originally written by Neil Murray for the Warumpi Band. The song was later covered by

Christine Anu Christine Anu (born 15 March 1970) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She gained popularity with the cover song release of the Warumpi Band's song " My Island Home". Anu has been nominated for 17 ARIA Awards. Early life Anu was ...

and she performed her rendition at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games. A memorial ceremony for George Burrarrawanga, one of the founding members of the Warumpi Band, was performed on the island in June 2007.

Notable people

Baykali Ganambarr Baykali Ganambarr (born 30 August 1994) is an Yolngu actor and dancer. He received the 2018 Marcello Mastroianni Award for his role in ''The Nightingale'' and was nominated for the 2019 AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the same ...

, actor * George Rrurrambu Burarrwanga, musician *

, musician

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * *

External links

* * {{Authority control Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory Islands of the Northern Territory Pre-1606 contact with Australia