Place Names Register Extract

Nhulunbuy

Extract date: 20/05/2024

Name Nhulunbuy
Type Designation Town
Place Id 16222
Place Type Feature
Status Recorded
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -12° 11' S (Decimal degrees -12.187)
Longitude: 136° 46' E (Decimal degrees 136.7763)
Locality / Suburb  
  Nhulunbuy
Local Government Area  
 
Alternate Names  
  Gove
History/Origin Nhulunbuy is a private mining town residing on Aboriginal Land. Nhulunbuy was established in the 1960s by Nabalco Pty Ltd on land adjacent to Mount Saunders (named by Matthew Flinders in 1803) to service the nearby bauxite deposit on Gove Peninsula.

It was originally recommended the town be named Gove, and as such was gazetted on 21 August 1968. Refer to Place ID 13240 Gove (Town).

However, Prime Minister John G Gorton whilst visiting the Northern Territory decided on and announced the name of the town would be "Nhulunbuy" in lieu of Gove after a delegation from Yirrkala who believed Nhulunbuy was the name given to the township area by Wuyal, one of their dream-time ancestors, being "Nhulun" - the traditional name for Mount Saunders and "buy" - adjoining area or associated with. The town was officially renamed Nhulunbuy in 2007.

The tenure of the town is somewhat complex. The Nhulunbuy Corporation Ltd has controlled the Special Purpose town since 1972.

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
  (None Found)  

The Northern Territory Gazetteer is maintained by the Place Names Section,
Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics.
GPO Box 1680, Darwin NT 0801. Ph 08 8995 5333.
place.names@nt.gov.au

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