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ABOUT GROOTE EYLANDT
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Groote Eylandt (Dutch for "big island") is part of the Northern Territory of Australia and is situated in the Gulf of Carpentaria, approximately 640km east of Darwin and about 48km from the eastern coast of Arnhem Land.
Bickerton and Connexion Islands form natural stepping stones between the mainland and Groote Eylandt.
Roughly rectangular in shape, Groote Eylandt covers an area of some 2260 square kilometres. |
Central Hill (or Yandarrnga) is the most prominent physical feature of the island and can be seen from many vantage points on land and at sea. Reaching a height of 185 metres above sea level, the hill rises abruptly from moderately rocky country which covers most of the island's centre.
From this central outcropping of rock, small ranges run down to the coast. Amagula, Emerald and Angurugu Rivers spring from these ranges. The Angurugubira River also flows from the central ridge to the east coast to form a large and almost circular lake with an outlet to the sea.
The vegetation between the central range and the coast is typical open tropical savannah woodland, consisting mainly of stringy-bark eucalypts, with scattered pandanus trees and areas of cypress pine. Because of the rocky nature of the soil, there is little undergrowth except during the wet season. |
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| There are two main climatic seasons - the "wet" and the "dry" - resulting from the north-west monsoon and the south-east trade winds. The wet season extends from November to April and the dry season from May to October. |
| Average temperatures range from 25 to 38 degrees Celsius in the wet season and 15 to 30 degrees Celsius in the dry season. The average rainfall is 1300mm. |
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Alyangula is situated on the shores of Milner Bay on the north western tip of Groote Eylandt, 16km north of GEMCO's ore quarries and processing plant, which is known as the Concentrator.
There are two other communities on Groote Eylandt. Angurugu, about 16km south of Alyangula and Umbakumba, which is 45 minutes' drive east of Angurugu. |
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The photos on this page were kindly donated by Terry Crothers. To see more of his lovely photos of Groote Eylandt, please visit his online photo album:
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© Alyangula Community Library 2007/2008
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