Extract date: 06/04/2026
| Name | Maningrida |
|---|---|
| Type Designation | Major |
| Place Id | 362 |
| Place Type | Aboriginal Community |
| Status | Recorded |
| Date Registered | |
| Location (Datum GDA94) | |
| Latitude: -12° 03' S (Decimal degrees -12.0508472222) | |
| Longitude: 134° 13' E (Decimal degrees 134.223625) | |
| Locality / Suburb | |
| Maningrida | |
| Land Council | Northern Land Council |
| Resource Centre | Managed by Local Government |
| Local Government Area | |
| West Arnhem Shire Council | |
| History/Origin | The name Maningrida is an Anglicised version of the Kunibídji name Manayingkarírra, which comes from the phrase Mane djang karirra, meaning "the place where the Dreaming changed shape." The town supports a population of 2,600 people, which includes those who live on the 30 homeland centres or outstations around Maningrida. The township of Maningrida dates back to just after World War 2, when Welfare Branch patrol officers Sid Kyle-Little and Jack Doolan were sent by the government to set up a ration-cum-trade post there. This was converted by Dave and Ingrid Drysdale into a permanent Welfare Department settlement from 1957, partly to quell the post-war migration of Aboriginal people from the Blyth and Liverpool Rivers regions into Darwin. Patrols went out to spread the word and encourage people to move into the settlement. Within a few years, many people from the surrounding area were living in Maningrida. |
| Date | Gazettal | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| (None Found) |