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The story of the Groote Eylandt Aboriginal Trust

This story belongs to the Warnindilyakwa people, the beneficiaries of GEAT. 

It is a very important story and it will help you understand:

WHY GEAT was created

WHAT GEAT does

HOW GEAT does it

Read The Story of GEAT.

 

Groote Eylandt Context

Groote Eylandt, which is located off eastern Arnhem Land in the Gulf of Carpentaria, is the third largest island in Australia, and the associated archipelago includes over 40 smaller islands.

Groote Eylandt is characterised by extensive lateritic plains, rugged sandstone plateaux and hills in the central and southern parts of the island, and large dunefields and sand plains in coastal areas.

Savanna woodland dominated by Darwin stringybark and woollybutt cover much of Groote Eylandt, but there is a diversity of habitats including sandstone heathlands, dune shrublands, monsoon vine forests, riparian woodlands and paperbark swamps.

The smaller islands and islets are mostly low sand and coral islands, rugged sandstone or granite outcrops.  Groote Eylandt and the numerous associated smaller islands are Aboriginal freehold land (part of the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Land Trust lands). In addition to Indigenous land uses, mining, tourism and recreational and commercial fishing occur in the Site. The whole Site is within the Anindilyakwa Indigenous Protected Area.

Groote Eylandt and its satellite islands have outstanding conservation values, including internationally and nationally significant sites for nesting marine turtles and colonial seabirds. The islands support the densest areas of marine turtle nesting in the Northern Territory, and are especially significant for Green and Hawksbill Turtles. One islet supports more than 1% of the world's Roseate Terns. Approximately 900 plant species and 330 vertebrate species are recorded from the Site, including twelve threatened species (amongst them the Northern Hoppingmouse, Brush-tailed Rabbit-rat and Northern Quoll). Many of the threatening processes operating on the Northern Territory mainland are absent from, or at low levels in, the Groote archipelago, offering a rare opportunity to maintain a virtually intact biota in this site.

People we work with

Growing the Trust

GEAT aims to future proof the Trust and this is achieved via the Preservation Fund.

Each year GEAT must transfer a minimum 50% of its income to the Preservation Fund for future generations.