Oenpelli, Northern Territory
Encyclopedia
Oenpelli is an Aboriginal community in west Arnhem Land
in the Northern Territory
of Australia
.
to Jabiru
, the town within Kakadu National Park
. About four kilometres before Jabiru, the sealed road turns off to Ubirr
, the Border Store, Cahills Crossing on the East Alligator River and Oenpelli. The road is dirt from the East Alligator to just before Gunbalanya, a distance of about 16 kilometres. While this road is generally navigable by four wheel drive vehicle, the river crossing is a causeway which is closed by flooding during the wet season (November to April) and at high tides.
Dry season travellers are able to drive the 300 km from Darwin in about three hours and 60 km from Jabiru in under an hour. Northern Land Council permits are required to cross the East Alligator River, the western boundary of Arnhem Land, and travel east to Oenpelli.
Oenpelli has a sealed all weather airstrip.
The local radio station is called "RIBS" for Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Service.
offices in Darwin
or Jabiru
and may take up to two weeks to finalise. Many visitors prefer to see Arnhem Land through an organised tour operation.
The Stone Country Festival (formerly Gunbalanya Cultural Open Day) is held in August each year and access for this is allowed without permit.
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...
in the 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...
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...
.
Access
The sealed Arnhem Highway links DarwinDarwin, 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...
to 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...
, the town within Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 171 km southeast of Darwin.Kakadu National Park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It covers an area of , extending nearly 200 kilometres from north to south and over 100 kilometres...
. About four kilometres before Jabiru, the sealed road turns off to Ubirr
Ubirr
Ubirr is located in the East Alligator region of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia, and is famous for its rock art. It consists of a group of rock outcrops on the edge of the Nadab floodplain where there are several natural shelters that have a collection of Aboriginal...
, the Border Store, Cahills Crossing on the East Alligator River and Oenpelli. The road is dirt from the East Alligator to just before Gunbalanya, a distance of about 16 kilometres. While this road is generally navigable by four wheel drive vehicle, the river crossing is a causeway which is closed by flooding during the wet season (November to April) and at high tides.
Dry season travellers are able to drive the 300 km from Darwin in about three hours and 60 km from Jabiru in under an hour. Northern Land Council permits are required to cross the East Alligator River, the western boundary of Arnhem Land, and travel east to Oenpelli.
Oenpelli has a sealed all weather airstrip.
The local radio station is called "RIBS" for Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Service.
Tourism
Permits for road travel into Arnhem Land can be organised at the Northern Land CouncilNorthern Land Council
The Northern Land Council is in the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia. It has its origins in the struggle of Australian Aboriginal people for rights to fair wages and land. This included the strike and walk off by the Gurindji people at Wave Hill, cattle station in 1966. The head...
offices in 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...
or 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...
and may take up to two weeks to finalise. Many visitors prefer to see Arnhem Land through an organised tour operation.
The Stone Country Festival (formerly Gunbalanya Cultural Open Day) is held in August each year and access for this is allowed without permit.
Rock Art
Western Arnhem Land is home to some of the most significant rock art in the world. It has arguably the world's longest continuing artistic traditions - with rock art dating back thousands of years and still being produced today.Interesting facts
- A large and rare python, the species Morelia oenpelliensisMorelia oenpelliensisMorelia oenpelliensis is a very large python species found in Australia. It is commonly known as the Oenpelli python. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:...
, was named for this town. - The 1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem LandIn February 1948, a team of Australian and American researchers and support staff came together in northern Australia to begin, what was then, one of the largest scientific expeditions ever to have taken place in this country—the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land...
visited Oenpelli for 3 months and formed large collections of artefacts, art, and natural science fields.