Place Names Register Extract
Nhulunbuy
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Print Extract | Search Again| 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) | |
| View Map | View in NT Atlas | View in Google Earth | |
| 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) |