Wellington Range, Northern Territory facts for kids
The Wellington Range is a cool natural area in Arnhem Land, which is in the Northern Territory of Australia. It's like a big, long cliff (called an escarpment) that stretches out and becomes part of a flat, high area made of sandstone.
This range is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north-north-east of a town called Jabiru. If you drive, it's a bit further, around 137 kilometers (85 miles). The closest town you can reach by road is Gunbalanya, which is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. Even though Warruwi is closer, you can't drive there from Wellington Range.
The Wellington Range is mostly made of sandstone and a type of rock called basal conglomerate. These rocks are part of a bigger geological area in the northern McArthur Basin. People haven't done much mining here, and there aren't any mines in the area. This range is at the very top part of the Arnhem Land Plateau.
The Maung people are the traditional owners of this land. This means they have a special connection to the area that goes back a very long time.
Ancient Art and History
The Wellington Range is super important for its archaeological discoveries and amazing Indigenous Australian rock art. This art tells us a lot about the past, especially about when people from Makassar (now part of Indonesia) visited Australia a long time ago.
Makassan Connections
Some of the rock paintings show interesting things like firearms and ships, which were brought by the Makassan visitors. People have also found Glass beads in the area. Between 1925 and 1930, a collection of headbands and necklaces made from these beads was found. These special items are now kept at the British Museum.
Famous Art Sites
The rock art in this area is huge! Two anthropologists, Paul Tacon and Sally K. May, studied a very important place called the Malarrak complex. In 2008, they recorded a painting there that shows a type of boat called a prau and a knife, both used by the Makassans.
Another incredible place is the Djulirri rock art complex. This is the biggest site for rock art in Australia that uses pigment (like paint). It's in the area where Maung speakers live, and Ronald Lamilami is a senior traditional owner there. This site has more than 3,100 paintings, prints, stencils, and figures made from beeswax. Recording all this amazing artwork started in 2008.
Coordinates
11°48′0″S 133°9′0″E / 11.80000°S 133.15000°E
