Larrakia people
The Larrakia are Aboriginal people who live around Darwin in the Northern Territory. They call themselves the Saltwater People because of their strong connection to the sea and to trading with neighbors such as the Tiwi, Wadjiginy, and Djerimanga. They were also known as the Gulumirrgin. Their language is Larrakiya/Gulumirrgin.
Their traditional country covers about 1,500 square miles and includes Darwin, Southport, Bynoe Harbour, and the Howard River. It stretches from the Finniss River and Fog Bay in the northeast to near Gunn Point in the west, with a southern area reaching toward Rum Jungle.
Dreamtime stories talk of beings like Mangarrara in the sky and Nanganburra in the earth who helped shape the world and people.
In 1880 the Larrakia population was about 500. A smallpox epidemic earlier had reduced numbers, and diseases brought by outsiders continued to affect them.
In the 20th century, the Northern Territory Aboriginals Act 1910 put the Chief Protector in charge of Aboriginal children, which allowed authorities to control where young people lived. Early surveys in 1911 found many Larrakia living near the shore, but caretakers wanted to move some of them away.
The Larrakia began to push for land rights in 1972, presenting a long petition during Princess Margaret’s visit to Darwin. After the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, they formally claimed their land in the Kenbi (Cox Peninsula) case in 1979. The case was costly and long. In 2000, a court report recognized that six people from the Tommy Lyons family met the traditional owner test and recommended returning about 600 square kilometers to a land trust for the Larrakia. A 2006 Federal Court decision denied a broader native title claim. In 2016, the land was officially handed back to the Larrakia.
Today the Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation, formed in 1997, represents the traditional owners of Darwin. It runs services in housing, community support, arts and culture, research, and Indigenous rangers, and by 2021 had over 740 members. It earns much of its income from services and activities and aims for a strong, healthy Larrakia Nation known and respected in the wider community.
The Larrakia Development Corporation, created in 2002, works to promote financial independence and jobs for Larrakia people. It runs the Larrakia Trade Training Centre to help build skills and opportunity. Radio Larrakia began in 1998 on 94.5 FM, providing programs in many Indigenous languages and local community information. The Gwalwa Daraniki Association owns land that includes the Town Camps of Kulaluk and Minmarama Park.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 09:27 (CET).