Maningrida, Northern Territory
Encyclopedia
Maningrida is a self-governing indigenous community in the heart of the Arnhem Land
region of Australia
's Northern Territory
. Maningrida is located 500 km east of Darwin
and 300 km north east of Jabiru
. It is on the North Central Arnhem Land coast of the Arafura Sea
, on the estuary of the Liverpool River. The Kunibídji people are the traditional landowners of this country. The name Maningrida is an Anglicised version of the Kunibídji name Manayingkarírra, which comes from the phrase Mane djang karirra, meaning "the place where the Dreaming
changed shape." The town supports a population of 2,600 people, which includes those who live on the 30 homeland centres or outstations around Maningrida. Major players in the town's economic and political life include the "Maningrida JET Centre," the "Maningrida Council Inc.," the "Maningrida Progress Association," the "Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation," and the "Maningrida Arts and Culture" artists' co-op.
, when Welfare Branch patrol officers Sid Kyle-Little and Jack Doolan were sent by the government to set up a ration-cum-trade post there. This was converted by Dave and Ingrid Drysdale into a permanent Welfare Department settlement from 1957, partly to quell the post-war migration of Aboriginal people from the Blyth and Liverpool Rivers regions into Darwin. Patrols went out to spread the word and encourage people to move into the settlement. Within a few years, many people from the surrounding area were living in Maningrida.
On the night of 24 April 2006 Cyclone Monica
, the most severe cyclone ever to strike Australia, passed just to the west of the community. Fortunately the community was spared the full brute force of the category 5 cyclone and infrastructure damage was only light to moderate.
, and English. Most people have command of at least three of these languages.
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
region of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. Maningrida is located 500 km east of Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
and 300 km north east of Jabiru
Jabiru, Northern Territory
Jabiru is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It was originally built in 1982 as a closed town to house the community living at Jabiru East near the Ranger Uranium Mine eight kilometres away. Both the mine and the town are completely surrounded by Kakadu National Park.- Overview :Jabiru...
. It is on the North Central Arnhem Land coast of the Arafura Sea
Arafura Sea
The Arafura Sea lies west of the Pacific Ocean overlying the continental shelf between Australia and New Guinea.-Geography:The Arafura Sea is bordered by Torres Strait and through that the Coral Sea to the east, the Gulf of Carpentaria to the south, the Timor Sea to the west and the Banda and Ceram...
, on the estuary of the Liverpool River. The Kunibídji people are the traditional landowners of this country. The name Maningrida is an Anglicised version of the Kunibídji name Manayingkarírra, which comes from the phrase Mane djang karirra, meaning "the place where the Dreaming
Dreaming (spirituality)
The Dreaming is a common term within the animist creation narrative of indigenous Australians for a personal, or group, creation and for what may be understood as the "timeless time" of formative creation and perpetual creating....
changed shape." The town supports a population of 2,600 people, which includes those who live on the 30 homeland centres or outstations around Maningrida. Major players in the town's economic and political life include the "Maningrida JET Centre," the "Maningrida Council Inc.," the "Maningrida Progress Association," the "Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation," and the "Maningrida Arts and Culture" artists' co-op.
History
The township of Maningrida dates back to just after World War 2World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when Welfare Branch patrol officers Sid Kyle-Little and Jack Doolan were sent by the government to set up a ration-cum-trade post there. This was converted by Dave and Ingrid Drysdale into a permanent Welfare Department settlement from 1957, partly to quell the post-war migration of Aboriginal people from the Blyth and Liverpool Rivers regions into Darwin. Patrols went out to spread the word and encourage people to move into the settlement. Within a few years, many people from the surrounding area were living in Maningrida.
On the night of 24 April 2006 Cyclone Monica
Cyclone Monica
Severe Tropical Cyclone Monica was the most intense tropical cyclone, in terms of maximum sustained winds, on record to impact Australia. The 17th storm of the 2005–06 Australian region cyclone season, Monica originated from an area of low pressure off the coast of Papua New Guinea on 16 April...
, the most severe cyclone ever to strike Australia, passed just to the west of the community. Fortunately the community was spared the full brute force of the category 5 cyclone and infrastructure damage was only light to moderate.
Culture
The north central Arnhem Land area now serviced by Maningrida extends from Marrkolidjban in Eastern Kunwinjku country to the west, to Berriba in Dangbon country in the south, and over as far as Yinangarnduwa, or Cape Stewart, in the east. In per capita terms, it is perhaps the most multilingual community in the world. The linguistic variety is echoed by the cultural diversity in the area, evidenced by the number of different religious ceremonies and the multitude of artistic forms in design, music and dance. People speak Ndjébbana, eastern Kunwinjku, Kune, Rembarrnga, Dangbon/Dalabon, Nakkara, Gurrgoni, Djinang, Wurlaki, Ganalbingu, Gupapuyngu, Kunbarlang, Gun-nartpa, BurarraBurarra
The Burarra are an Aboriginal people of Maningrida, in the Northern Territory in Australia. They speak the Djinang language, which is a non-Pama-Nyungan language....
, and English. Most people have command of at least three of these languages.