This vast and unspoilt land was named after a Dutch ship, the Arnhem, which sailed by this area back in 1623. It was another 21 years before Abel Tasman managed to sail along the entire north coast and chart its outline.

From the seventeenth up until earlier this century a group known as the Macassans travelled from the Dutch East Indian colony to the Arnhem area looking for trepang which they then sold on the Chinese market (trepang is also known as beche-de-mer, or sea cucumber).

They built up relations with the Aboriginals whom they came upon and this is reflected in some of the Aboriginal rock art. Oenpelli and Goulburn Island are two of the areas in particular which the Macassans visited.

This land is both rich in Aboriginal culture and very diverse, with over 40 languages being spoken within the area. It is in the many caves and rock overhangs which have provided shelter over the centuries, that a wonderful collection of different art forms exist, telling a variety of stories of the people and their lives. Indeed, the richness of the area's Aboriginal heritage is clearly evident in the 1500 caves which are known to contain important examples of rock art.

Two attempts at forming early settlements by the British in the last century in this particular area proved most unsuccessful. These were at Fort Wellington at Raffles Bay and Port Essington. The former of the two lasted a mere two years, whilst the latter managed eleven years before it was decided to abandon it.

Arnhem Land was the site of attempted pastoral settlements which were very much flavour of the month in the Northern Territory at the end of the last century and at the turn of this century.

Nor were the efforts of the Eastern and Cold Storage Company who leased land in the eastern part of Arnhem Land in 1903 any more fruitful.

In 1933 the entire area of Arnhem Land became an Aboriginal Reserve. Today to travel in this area you require a special permit. White settlement in the area had been prohibited up until the 1970s. After this the development of mining took place in a number of locations, most notably at Nhulunbuy and Alyangula on Groote Eylandt.

Prior to this development in the sphere of mining the only real significant impact which Europeans had in the area was through the various missionaries which were set up at the turn of this century and later. The Methodist Overseas Mission was involved on Goulburn Island, at Milingimbi, Minjilang and Yirrkala.

It was men like the Rev. James Watson, Rev. J.C. Jennison and Rev. T.T. Webb who were principally behind the setting up of these particular mission stations. The other main group of missionaries involved in the area were the Anglican Church Missionary Society. They established missions at Angurugu, Ngukurr, Numbulwar, Oenpelli and Umbakumba.

The whole of Arnhem Land is just one mass of stunning beauty, quite breathtaking. Gorges and escarpments which are the work of thousands of years of weathering are the scene of powerful waterfalls during the rainy season. The impressive main 500 kilometre long escarpment is perhaps one of the most spectacular natural features in Arnhem Land. There is an estimated 1000 varieties of plants, over 275 species of birds and at least another 150 types of animals. The area cannot but instil a deep sense of awe at the work of nature.

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