Bickerton Island

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Bickerton Iceland located 13 km to the west of Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria and is part of the Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. The 21.5 km long and 20.5 km wide island is 215 square kilometers, the second largest island of the archipelago Groote Eylandt. It 135 people live there permanently.

Bickerton Iceland was named by the British explorer Matthew Flinders on January 4, 1803 the British Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton. He wrote down:

" No part of Groote Eylandt what in sight; but in Iceland of Considerable extent and elevation, not noticed in the old chart, lay six or seven miles to the ENE; and I have called it Bickerton 's Iceland, in compliment to Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton. [ ... ] In passing the south side of Bickerton 's Iceland, we Observed in it a deep bight or bay Which would afford shelter in the north -west monsoon, if there be Sufficient depth 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. "

" No part of Groote Eylandt was in sight; but an island of considerable extent and elevation, which was not listed in the chart was old, six or seven miles east-northeast; and I have called Bickerton 's Iceland, in honor of Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton. [ ... ] After passing the south side of Bickerton 's Iceland we saw in her a deep bay or bay, which would provide during the north-west monsoon protection if there there was sufficient depth for a ship [? ]; and the hills behind it were high and woody [ forested ], there was the probability [ possibility ] that there was a stream of fresh water there. The land around the entrance of the bay seemed to be sandy and sterile. "

On the island there since 1975, the Aboriginal settlement Milyakburra, which lies on the eastern side of the South Bay. The settlement can be reached by boat or plane. On Bickerton Iceland there are no paved roads.

88 % of the 178 islanders are of Aboriginal Anindilyakwa.

2008 an agreement between the Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC ), the Government of the Northern Territory, the Australian Federal Government, the East Arnhem Shire Council (EASC ) and the Groote Eylandt Mining Company ( GEMCO ) on cooperation with the Anindilyakwa was closed.

End of 1926 there was a violent confrontation between local Aborigines and Japanese fishermen who were stranded in their boat on Bickerton Iceland, one Japanese and one Aborigine died.