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Angurugu Northern Territory
Angurugu
Coordinates	13°57′32″S 136°26′56″E / 13.95889°S 136.44889°E / -13.95889; 136.44889
Population	883 (SAL 2021)
Postcode(s)	0822
LGA(s)	East Arnhem Region
Territory electorate(s)	Arnhem
Federal division(s)	Lingiari

Angurugu is a community located on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, Australia. The main spoken languages are Anindilyakwa, an Australian Aboriginal language, and English. Established as a Mission for the Church Mission Society, it is one of the three main indigenous settlements on the Groote Eylandt archipelago alongside Milyakburra and Umbakumba. According to the 2016 Census, the community had a population of 855, a decrease from 882 in 2006.

History

Groote Eylandt Mission

Reverend Hubert Ernest de Mey Warren of the Church Mission Society (CMS), the Superintendent of the Roper River Mission, was keen to expand his operations northwards to Groote Eylandt. From 1916, he led several expeditions to the island with the purpose of establishing a new settlement to relocate the Indigenous children of mixed-race descent. The Roper Mission on the mainland had become unviable and overcrowded. Granting the CMS request, the Secretary of the Department of Home and Territories declared the whole of Groote Eylandt an Aboriginal Reserve in 1921 and gave the CMS a 21-year lease on a large portion of the island. The government granted them 200 square miles (51,800 hectares) of land on the western side of the island for the construction of a Mission.

The Groote Eylandt Mission was established in 1921 along Emerald River, 13km south of Angurugu; this is sometimes known as the Emerald River Mission.

However, it soon became apparent that the location was unsuitable for its inhabitants. The settlement had to be rebuilt numerous times due to flooding and cyclones.

In 1924, the Roper River Mission transferred 35 children to the Groote Eylandt. That number had dropped substantially by 1933. There were complaints from the Indigenous residents about the gruelling work, the state of the dormitories, the punishments meted out for infractions and the poor quality of clothing and bedding. Complaints were raised regarding the alarming cases of leprosy. A report by the Chief Medical Officer in 1934 stated that half of the adult population on the Mission had or previously had leprosy. It ceased to be a 'half-caste' mission in 1934. The CMS decided to turn their missionary activities towards the local Warnindhilyagwa people.

In 1940, a cyclone destroyed many of the older buildings at the Mission, including the boys' dormitory and severely damaged the new girls' quarters. CMS decided to move the Mission to the new site along Angurugu River.

Angurugu Mission

The Church Mission Society established the Angurugu Mission in 1943 on the southern bank of the Angurugu River. By 1947, the population of the Mission was 278. By 1956, the total number had grown to 400.

Groote Eylandt Mining Company

In 1803, Matthew Flinders had recorded the presence of minerals on the island. Geological mapping in 1960 indicated the occurrence of manganese deposits on Groote Eylandt.

The Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP) obtained prospecting rights in 1963 and commenced and mining operations. The 200 square miles that the CMS had leased contained 14 main deposits. The CMS took out an authority to prospect and mine on the land and negotiated a treaty with BHP for mining rights with royalties at the rate of $10,000 per annum for any production up to 100,000 tons, and a rate of 1¼% of the value of manganese ore shipped per annum more than 100,000 tons.

In 1964, the Groote Eylandt Mining Company was established and given a lease over the island for royalty payments to the Church Missionary Society. The CMS established the Groote Eylandt Aboriginal Trust Fund on 28 August 1969, where the mining company would pay the royalty money.

The population of Angurugu increased to 525 by 1971.

Present-day

Groote Eylandt became Aboriginal Freehold Land in 1976. In 2008, Angurugu became part of the East Arnhem Shire, and the Council took over local government.

In 2015, a riot broke out between two rival clans in Angurugu, involving spears and machetes. Two people were speared and later died. Six people were later tried for the violence, including one charged for murder.

Name

The local Anindilyakwa people called the location chosen for the Mission along the Angurugu River "Mungwardinamanja". However, as it was difficult for the European missionaries to pronounce, the local Anindilyakwa men guiding them chose the name of the Angurugu River mouth "Angurrkwa", which was later Anglicised to Angurugu.

Demographics

According to the 2016 Australian Census, the population of Angurugu and its surrounds in 2016 was approximately 855. The median age of people in Angurugu is 25 years. The most common ancestries in Angurugu were Australian Aboriginal 83.1%, Australian 3.1%, English 0.8%, Scottish 0.6% and Irish 0.3%.

Traditional owners

The traditional owners of Groote Eylandt, the Warnindhilyagwa people, have 14 clan groups, which make up the two moieties on Groote Eylandt. The clans maintain their traditions and have strong ties with the people in the community of Numbulwar and on Bickerton Island.

Governance

As of 2020, the East Arnhem Regional Council is the local government for Angurugu, which is in the council's Anindilyakwa Ward.

The Anindilyakwa Land Council is the land council to the community, responsible for matters under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.

Climate

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Angurugu (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Angurugu (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021. 
3. "LGWORKS local government database". LGWORKS. Archived from the original on 3 September 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2007.
4. "Emerald River". PastMasters. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
5. Harris, J. W. (1998). We wish we'd done more : ninety years of CMS and Aboriginal issues in North Australia (Rev. ed.). Adelaide: Openbook.
6. Rademaker, Laura (2018). Found in Translation: Many Meanings on a North Australian Mission. University of Hawai‘i Press. p. 37. ISBN 9780824872656.
7. ^ Find & Connect Web Resource Project, The University of Melbourne and Australian Catholic University. "Groote Eylandt Mission - Organisation - Find & Connect - Northern Territory". findandconnect.gov.au. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
8. "Groote Eylandt Mission". Find and Connect. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
9. Cole, Keith (1971). Groote Eylandt Pioneer. Church Missionary Historical Publications Trust (Victoria). p. 38. ISBN 0-909821-01-1.
10. Dewar, Mickey. The 'Black War' in Arnhem Land. Missionaries and the Yolngu 1908-1940. Darwin: Australian National University, North Australian Research Unit.
11. ^ Keith, Cole (1971). Groote Eylandt Mission: A short history of the C.M.S. Groote Eylandt Mission 1921 - 1971. Church Missionary Historical Publications. ISBN 0-909821-00-3.
12. "Groote Eylandt Aboriginal Trust". Groote Eylandt Aboriginal Trust. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
13. "Groote Eylandt accused behind bars". news.com.au – Australia’s #1 news site. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
14. Rademaker, Laura. "Language and Australian Aboriginal History; Anindilyakwa and English on Groote Eylandt" (PDF). Australian National University: 6.
15. "2016 Census QuickStats: Angurugu". quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
16. "The Aboriginal Land Rights Act | Central Land Council, Australia". clc.org.au. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
17. "Angurugu". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 30 March 2014.

External links

• LGWORKS: Angurugu Community Government Council

• Towns in the Northern Territory
• Groote Eylandt
• Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory