Elcho Island

Elcho Iceland is an island off the east coast of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Most Galiwin'ku Aboriginal living on Elcho Iceland.

Geography

The island is located in the east of Arnhem Land region, at the southern end of the Wessel Islands, which is referred to by the Australian Government as Elcho Iceland Group. The island is separated by the at the narrowest point only 700 meters wide Cadell Strait from the Napier Peninsula. Elcho Iceland and the neighboring islands of Graham Wessel Island group, Drysdale, Burgunngura Stevens and Iceland are approximately 550 kilometers (direct distance ) north-east of Darwin. There are sand dunes and cliffs on the coast of Iceland Elcho. Elcho Iceland is 278.3 km ² the largest island of the archipelago. With a length of 51 km, it is up to about 8.5 km wide. The main town Galiwinku is at the southwestern end. It has evolved from a Methodist mission station of the early 1940s. Galiwinku is also the name of the locals for the whole island .. The vegetation consists mainly of eucalyptus trees and mangroves in influenced by tidal regions.

At the southern tip of the island at Galiwinku since the Second World War, a landing strip because the sparsely populated northern coast of Australia was seen as a likely target of Japanese combat units. This has created a modern airfield Elcho Iceland Airport, which is accessible from Darwin.

Population

With 2156 inhabitants Galiwinku is one of the largest settlements of Aboriginal people in northeastern Arnhem Land, live in the numerous clans of the Yolngu and 22 different dialects are spoken mainly Djambarrpuyngu and Gupapuyngu, both from the language family of the Yolngu Matha.

On the island is next to the main town Galiwinku 12 more settlements (family outstations ), including Gäwa at the northern tip of the island ( from north to south ):

To get to the island, a permit from the Aborigines in the Northern Land Council or directly from Galiwin'ku Council must be obtained in advance. The island enjoys an unconditional ban on alcohol and as a fuel for vehicles opal is only offered a Substitutionsgut for fuels with lower proportions of aromatics.

The settlements were founded by the Methodist Mission in 1942 as an Aboriginal mission stations, which was connected with the mission on Milingimbi. The mission stations were taken over by the Aborigines in 1974 and self-administered.

Culture

About 150 Aboriginal people on the island produce a wide range of craft products and art works from objects of bushland and beaches of the island, dating back to a thousand-year- year-old culture. Your traditional works include so-called Good Morning rods, didgeridoos, bark paintings, coolamons, mats, fishing nets, carvings of bones and shells. They turn to their designs for modern designs. The artistic works of the islanders are strong colouriert and are distributed nationally and internationally.

Their dances and songs go back to their traditions in the Dreamtime. The Aboriginal people of the island have produced musicians who play in the well-known Australian bands Yothu Yindi and Warumpi band. Their dances they perform with body paint.

The well-known in Australia Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu singers and musicians comes from the island. The American musician and composer Graham Wiggins lived in the early 1990s several months on Elcho Iceland to study the style of music Galiwin'ku culture.

For tourists events take place and there are accommodation facilities on the island.

Management

Like the entire archipelago of the Wessel Islands Elcho Iceland belongs administratively to the district Gumurr Marthakal Ward of the Local Government Areas in the Northern Territory of East Arnhem Shire.