Barunga

History

Aboriginal people have lived in Barunga and the surrounding region for thousands of years. In September 1913, a goldfield named Maranboy was declared for a period of two years. Maranboy was located from where Barunga is today. Tin was discovered at Maranboy in 1913 by prospectors Scharber and Richardson. Tin mines and a battery were operational in the same year. Prospectors of European, Chinese and Aboriginal descent worked at Maranboy. The mine closed in 1949 for repairs but never reopened. Many of the Aboriginal people who serviced the mine returned to Beswick Creek. A Douglas DC-3 belonging to the Dutch Air Force crash-landed near Beswick Creek or Beswick (now Wugularr) in 1947. All passengers survived, with four crew travelling about down the Katherine River to get help. After running out of food they killed one of two dogs they had with them. The wings were eventually removed and the remains of the plane were towed to Katherine. The Tandangal Native Settlement (from Jawoyn language dangdangdal), also known as the Eight Mile Settlement, was established in 1947, located about from Beswick Station. The local people were not consulted about the choice of location nor the method of their removal to the settlement from the King River Compound. In 1948, the Beswick community moved to Tandangal (sometimes known as "old Bamyili"), because of risk of flooding from recent heavy rains. An influenza epidemic spread through the community in May 1951. In June 1951 the people were relocated to the new site, initially known as Beswick Creek Native Settlement, and Tandangal was condemned. In early 1951, the Northern Territory Government started to develop the Beswick Creek community, building basic housing infrastructure and creating some minor employment opportunities.…

Most-observed species

• Peaceful Dove

  Geopelia placida Gould, 1844 · Aves
  400
• Yellow-tinted Honeyeater

  Ptilotula flavescens (Gould, 1840) · Aves
  380
• Black-tailed Treecreeper

  Climacteris melanurus Gould, 1843 · Aves
  359
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  341
• Long-tailed Finch

  Poephila acuticauda (Gould, 1840) · Aves
  327
• Black-faced Woodswallow

  Artamus cinereus Vieillot, 1817 · Aves
  318
• Little Friarbird

  Philemon citreogularis (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  283
• Pied Butcherbird

  Cracticus nigrogularis (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  281

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2006-07-18
  107 km NE of Katherine East, Australia