Gunbalanya, Northern Territory

Gunbalanya
Kunbarlanja (Gunwinggu)
Northern Territory
A view of Gunbalanya from nearby Injalak Hill
Gunbalanya is located in Northern Territory
Gunbalanya
Gunbalanya
Coordinates12°19′S 133°03′E / 12.317°S 133.050°E / -12.317; 133.050
Population1,153 (UCL 2021)[1]
Location300 km (186 mi) east of Darwin
LGA(s)West Arnhem Region
RegionArnhem Land
Territory electorate(s)Arafura
Federal division(s)Lingiari

Gunbalanya (also spelt Kunbarlanja, and historically referred to as Oenpelli) is an Aboriginal Australian town in west Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia, about 300 kilometres (190 mi) east of Darwin. The main language spoken in the community is Kunwinjku (a dialect of Bininj Kunwok). At the 2021 Australian census, Gunbalanya had a population of 1,177.[2]

Only accessible by air during the wet season, Gunbalanya is known for its Aboriginal art, in particular rock art and bark painting. It has a range of services, including a police station, school and community arts centre, Injalak Arts.

It is the nearest town to the Awunbarna, also known as Mount Borradaile, an Aboriginal sacred site and the location of significant Indigenous Australian rock art.

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Gunbalanya (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ "SBS Australian Census Explorer". Retrieved 27 September 2022.