Groote Eylandt from space, November 1989

Groote Eylandt is the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northeastern Australia and is the homeland of and is owned by, the Anindilyakwa people, spoken isolated Anindilyakwa language. It lies some 50 km from the Northern Territory mainland and eastern coast of Arnhem Land (approximately 630 km from Darwin). The island measures approximately 50 km from east to west and 60 km north—south, a total area of some 2,260 km². It is generally quite low-lying, with an average height above sea level of 15 m. Its geographic coordinates are 14.0° S 136.53° E. It was named by the explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 and is Dutch for "Large Island" in a now-archaic spelling. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (638x640, 103 KB)Groote Eylandt, Australia - November 1989 image description here File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (638x640, 103 KB)Groote Eylandt, Australia - November 1989 image description here File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Gulf of Carpentaria viewed from orbit. ... Enindhilyagwa (several other names; see below) is an Australian language isolate spoken by the Warnindhilyagwa people on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia. ... km redirects here. ... Capital Darwin Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $10,418 (8th)  - Product per capita  $51,634/person (2nd) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  207,700 (8th)  - Density  0. ... Arnhem Land is an area of 97,000 km² in the north-eastern corner of the Northern Territory, Australia. ... Darwin is the capital city of the Australian Territory of the Northern Territory. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... The metre or meter is a measure of length. ... Portrait of Tasman (detail from the family portrait) The only evidence to support this claim is a library catalogue entry Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603 - October 10, 1659), was a Dutch seafarer, explorer and then merchant, born in Lutjegast, a village in the province of Groningen, best known for his voyages... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ...

Mining

Groote Eylandt is part of the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve. GEMCO, a BHP subsidiary, operates a large manganese mine near the community of Angurugu, paying royalties to the traditional owners. In operation since the early 1960s, it has a yearly production of more than 3.8 million tonnes, which is about 25 percent of the world's total. Otherwise, the island is open to the public only with permission, and the local Aboriginal Land Council has not encouraged tourism. In general, a permit issued by the Anindilyakwa Land Council office is required in order to visit the island. BHP may refer to: Broken Hill Proprietary Company BHP Billiton BHP Steel Brake horsepower This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ... General Name, Symbol, Number manganese, Mn, 25 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 7, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 54. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... A tonne or metric ton (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. ...

History

Groote Eylandt was first sighted by Europeans in 1623, by the Dutch ship Arnhem, under Willem van Coolsteerdt. However, it was not until 1644, when Tasman arrived, that the island was given a European name. The first European settlement on the island was established at Emerald River in 1921, in the form of an Anglican church mission. During World War II, in 1943, the mission moved to Angurugu, as the RAAF required the use of the mission's airstrip. The ruins of the RAAF base are still evident today. The island was also used as a flying boat base by Qantas for a period of time. In 1979, control of the island was transferred to the local Aboriginal Town Council. Year 1623 (MDCXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The RAAF Roundel is based on that of the British Royal Air Force, with the central circle replaced by a Kangaroo, a symbol of Australia. ... Boeing 314 A flying boat is an aircraft that is designed to take off and land on water, in particular a type of seaplane which uses its fuselage as a floating hull (instead of pontoons mounted below the fuselage). ... Qantas (pronounced ) is the name and callsign of the national airline of Australia and the worlds oldest continuously running independent airline. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

Groote Eylandt was converted to Aboriginal freehold title land following the passing of the Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act of 1976. Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the 1976 Gregorian calendar. ...

Eylandt Echo newsletter

The Eylandt Echo is produced each fortnight for the benefit of everyone on Groote Eylandt. The newsletter keeps the community up to date on local news, events and recreation. The Eylandt Echo is sponsored by GEMCO as a community service. Issues can be downloaded from here.

External links

• Angurugu Community Government Council site
• GEMCO - The Groote Eylandt mining company
• Alyangula Area School