In 1623 Jan Carstenszoon made his way west across the Gulf of Carpentaria to what is believed to be Groote Eylandt. The first surviving written account comes from the Dutch. ![]() The Chinese, Malays and Portuguese all claim to have been the first non-Aboriginal explorers of Australia's north coast. The arrival of non-Indigenous people Explorers The archaeological sites demonstrate Aboriginal occupation for at least 20,000 and possibly up to 40,000 years. There are more than 5,000 recorded art sites illustrating Aboriginal culture over thousands of years. Kakadu National Park is renowned for the richness of its Aboriginal cultural sites. Explorer Baldwin Spencer had incorrectly ascribed the name "Kakadu tribe" to the people living in the Alligator Rivers area Īboriginal peoples have occupied the Kakadu area continuously for around 60,000 years. The name Kakadu probably originates from the mispronunciation of Gaagudju, which is the name of an Aboriginal language spoken in the north-western part of the park. The area was given protected status, bit by bit, from the 1970s onward. In Kakadu, missionaries established a mission at Oenpelli (present-day Gunbalanya) in 1925 additionally, a few pastoralists, crocodile-hunters and wood cutters too made a living in the area at various points in time, as recently as the early 20th century. The European presence, albeit less than in more populated regions (on the east and west coasts), was still felt. Not only invasive animals have made an impact in the region, as all of these species were intentionally brought to the continent by the early settlers, pastoralists, and missionaries. Additionally, feral pigs, cats, red foxes and rabbits are further examples of invasive species, all of which compete with and wreak havoc upon the sensitive, unique ecosystems of the Northern Territory, and of the whole of Australia. The Ranger Uranium Mine site, one of the most productive uranium mines in the world until it ceased operations in January 2021, is surrounded by the park.ĭomestic Asian water buffalo-which are now an established feral population and invasive environmental pests-were released into the area in the late 19th century. It also includes a rich heritage of Aboriginal rock art, including highly significant sites, such as Ubirr. ![]() It is highly ecologically and biologically diverse hosting a wide range of habitats and flora and fauna, Kakadu is fully protected by the EPBC Act. ![]() Most of the region is owned by the Aboriginal traditional owners, who have occupied the land for around 60,000 years and, today, manage the park jointly with Parks Australia. It is roughly the size of Wales or one-third the size of Tasmania, and is the second-largest national park in Australia, after the Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park. Kakadu National Park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory, covering an area of 19,804 km 2 (7,646 sq mi), extending nearly 200 kilometres (124 mi) from north to south and over 100 kilometres (62 mi) from east to west. Kakadu is also gazetted as a locality, covering the same area as the national park, with 313 people recorded living there in the 2016 Australian census. ![]() Kakadu National Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia, 171 km (106 mi) southeast of Darwin. Protected areas of the Northern Territory
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