Bremer Island
| Native name: <span class="nickname" ">Banu Banu/Dhambaliya | |
|---|---|
  Bremer Island (Northern Territory) | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Arafura Sea |
| Coordinates | 12°06′22″S 136°48′41″E / 12.10611°S 136.81139°E |
| Area | 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi) |
| Length | 7.7 km (4.78 mi) |
| Width | 3.0 km (1.86 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Highest point | unnamed |
| Country | |
|
Australia | |
| Territory | Northern Territory |
| Shire | West Arnhem Region |
| Ward | Gumurr Miwatj Ward |
| Largest settlement | Gutjangan (pop. 25) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 25 |
| Density | 1.5 /km2 (3.9 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups |
Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu people |
| Additional information | |
| airport (north) | |
Bremer Island, or Dhambaliya in the local language is an island in the Arafura Sea, in the northwest of the Gulf of Carpentaria, 3.4 km off the northeast corner of Arnhem Land (Cape Wirawawoi), Northern Territory, Australia.
History
The island was named Melville Island by Matthew Flinders during his circumnavigation voyage in 1803. A European settlement on the island was established in 1823, on a ship captained by Sir James J. Gordon Bremer. The settlement was abandoned in 1829, and the island subsequently renamed Bremer Island to avoid confusion with the larger Melville Island to the west. [1]
Geography
It is 7.7 km long north-south, and up to 3.0 km wide, and has an area of about 16 km². The town of Nhulunbuy lies five kilometers away on the mainland of Arnhem Land. The island is inhabited by about 25 Rirratjingu, a clan of the Yolngu tribe. The only small settlement, a family outstation in the north of the island near the airfield is called Gutjangan (formerly Bremer Island North).
Alcohol consumption is illegal on Bremer Island. Only tourists are allowed to consume small quantities. Only up to eight tourists are allowed to stay on the island at any given time. The only tourist facility is the small "Banubanu Wilderness Retreat at the northern tip of the island.
The island is surrounded by a beach, on which sea turtles dig their eggs into the sand. Bremer Island is also home to many birds. 4.5 km east of the island are the East Bremer Islets, a group of small rocky islets, including Higginson Island, which form the Higginson Important Bird Area.[2]
References
- ↑ "N.T. Island to be renamed". The Canberra Times. 31 March 1934. p. 2.
- ↑ "IBA: Higginson Island". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 2011-07-07.