Marchinbar Island
Encyclopedia
Marchinbar Island is the largest island
in the Wessel Islands
, Northern Territory
, Australia
, in the Arafura Sea
. It is separated from Rimbija Island
, the most northeasterly of the Wessel Islands, by a narrow channel, which is less than 400 metres across at its narrowest point. In the southeast, it is separated from Guluwuru Island by Cumberland Strait, which is 1600 metres wide at its narrowest point.
Administratively, Marchinbar Island is part of Gumurr Marthakal Ward of East Arnhem Shire
.
The island is a long and narrow island, 57.4 km long and maximally 8 km wide. It measures 210.9 km² in area. The most northerly point of the island is called Low Point. Sphinx Head is a site of conspicuous cliffs up to 67 metres high, about 16 km SSW
of Low Point. Two flat-topped hills south of Sphinx Head rise to a maximum height of 79 metres. The entire east coast of the island is cliffy and high.
The only settlement is Martjanba, a small family outstation
on Jensen Bay in the northern part of the island.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Wessel Islands
Wessel Islands
The Wessel Islands are a group of islands belonging to the Northern Territory of Australia. They extend in a more or less straight line from Buckingham Bay and the Napier Peninsula of Arnhem Land, and Elcho Island, to the northeast. Marchinbar Island is the largest of the group...
, 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...
, 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...
, in 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...
. It is separated from Rimbija Island
Rimbija Island
Rimbija Island is the northernmost island of the Wessel Islands group in the Northern Territory of Australia. The most northerly point of the small island is called Cape Wessel. It is separated from Marchinbar Island by a narrow strait.-External links:*...
, the most northeasterly of the Wessel Islands, by a narrow channel, which is less than 400 metres across at its narrowest point. In the southeast, it is separated from Guluwuru Island by Cumberland Strait, which is 1600 metres wide at its narrowest point.
Administratively, Marchinbar Island is part of Gumurr Marthakal Ward of East Arnhem Shire
East Arnhem Shire
The East Arnhem Shire is a Local Government Area of the Northern Territory, Australia. The shire covers an area of and has a population of 9,120.-History:...
.
The island is a long and narrow island, 57.4 km long and maximally 8 km wide. It measures 210.9 km² in area. The most northerly point of the island is called Low Point. Sphinx Head is a site of conspicuous cliffs up to 67 metres high, about 16 km SSW
SSW
SSW is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:* South-SouthWest compass direction, see: Boxing the compass* SSW, the callsign of a TV station in the South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia* St...
of Low Point. Two flat-topped hills south of Sphinx Head rise to a maximum height of 79 metres. The entire east coast of the island is cliffy and high.
The only settlement is Martjanba, a small family outstation
Outstation
Historically, an outstation was a subsidiary homestead or other dwelling, on Australian sheep or cattle stations which were large enough to have more than a day's travel between different parts of the property....
on Jensen Bay in the northern part of the island.