Minjilang, Northern Territory
Minjilang, formerly Mission Bay, is the Aboriginal community located on Croker Island, some 235 km (146 mi) east northeast of Northern Territory's capital of Darwin. It is the only settlement of any size on Croker Island, which lies a few kilometres off the mainland.
| Minjilang Northern Territory | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Minjilang | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 11°08′54″S 132°34′38″E | ||||||||
| Population | 271 (2006 census)[1] | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 0822 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 35 m (115 ft)[2] | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| LGA(s) | West Arnhem Region | ||||||||
| Territory electorate(s) | Arafura | ||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Lingiari | ||||||||
| |||||||||
History
Croker Island Mission existed at Minjilang between 1940 and 1968, operated by the Methodist Overseas Mission.[3][4]
Geography
The community of Minjilang is on the opposite, eastern side of the island on Mission Bay, a secluded bay. Besides Minjilang, there are only eight small family outstations.[5]
Population
At the 2011 census, Minjilang had a population of 308[1] primarily Aboriginal people. About 150 speak Iwaidja and are the only speakers of this language, but English, Kunwinjku and Maung are also spoken. Approximately 48% of the population is unemployed.[6]
Croker Island offered a safe haven to many children from the "Stolen Generation", the people who were affected by the policy of forceful removal of Indigenous children from their families. Croker is a so-called dry community, meaning no alcohol may be brought into the village, to prevent abuse. However, the controlled sale of kava is licensed.[7]
Climate
| Climate data for Minjilang | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.5 (99.5) |
34.5 (94.1) |
34.7 (94.5) |
41.4 (106.5) |
33.1 (91.6) |
33.8 (92.8) |
31.4 (88.5) |
31.7 (89.1) |
36.0 (96.8) |
35.8 (96.4) |
36.8 (98.2) |
38.4 (101.1) |
41.4 (106.5) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 31.3 (88.3) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30.7 (87.3) |
30.8 (87.4) |
29.7 (85.5) |
28.1 (82.6) |
27.4 (81.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
29.8 (85.6) |
31.6 (88.9) |
32.9 (91.2) |
32.4 (90.3) |
32.9 (91.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.1 (75.4) |
23.9 (75.0) |
22.3 (72.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
22.3 (72.1) |
23.4 (74.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
25.1 (77.2) |
25.2 (77.4) |
23.8 (74.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 20.1 (68.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
19.9 (67.8) |
16.9 (62.4) |
14.0 (57.2) |
15.5 (59.9) |
15.2 (59.4) |
16.5 (61.7) |
17.9 (64.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
17.0 (62.6) |
20.5 (68.9) |
14.0 (57.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 316.6 (12.46) |
257.1 (10.12) |
281.7 (11.09) |
159.0 (6.26) |
43.0 (1.69) |
5.2 (0.20) |
3.7 (0.15) |
0.1 (0.00) |
0.5 (0.02) |
6.5 (0.26) |
67.8 (2.67) |
208.2 (8.20) |
1,390.4 (54.74) |
| Average rainy days | 16.9 | 16.8 | 16.5 | 11.7 | 4.7 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 4.9 | 11.5 | 86.6 |
| Source: [8] | |||||||||||||
Services
Minjilang has a supermarket, school, clinic serviced by a nurse and health worker (a doctor visits each fortnight and the dentist comes periodically). West Arnhem Region provides a number of services, e.g. waste collection, power and water supply and sewerage, and maintenance of roads, the barge landing and community airstrip.[5]
Communications
Croker Island Airfield is located about 11 km west of Minjilang and immediately south of Adjamarrago, a small family outstation.[9] An air service to Darwin is run on a daily basis (except Thursdays and Sundays) by Murin Airways. The haul to Darwin takes about an hour. The community barge service to Darwin by Perkins Shipping is a weekly affair. The island itself has only low-grade dirt roads. A permit from the Northern Land Council is needed for any visitors wishing to come to Croker Island, as it is restricted Aboriginal-owned land.[10] The community receives one radio station as well as four television stations.[5]
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Minjilang (Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- Bureau of Meteorology
- "Croker Island Mission (1940–1968)". Find and Connect. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- "Methodist Overseas Mission Croker Island Part-Aboriginal". Centre for Indigenous Family History Studies. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
National Archives of Australia Series F1 Item 1952/559
- Minjilang community profile from Minjilang Community Inc.
- 2006 census
- Regulations re the sale of kava in Minjilang Archived 2008-08-24 at the Wayback Machine
- "Minjilang". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
- Unearthed Outdoors'Minjilang Airfield page
- tourist overview of Croker Island