Wellington Range is an

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''esca ...

whose western extension forms part of a sandstone

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

, situated in western Arnhem Land in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...

of Australia. It lies approximately north-north-east of

Jabiru The jabiru ( or ; ''Jabiru mycteria'') is a large stork found in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, except west of the Andes. It sometimes wanders into the United States, usually in Texas, but has been reported as far north as Mississippi. ...

(at least by road). The nearest settlement accessible by road is

Gunbalanya 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 east of Darwin. The main language spoken in the community is Kunwi ...

, about away. (While

Warruwi Warruwi is a mostly Aboriginal community located on South Goulburn Island, off Arnhem Land, in the West Arnhem Region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is north-east of Darwin and north-east of Jabiru. At the 2016 census, Warruwi ...

South Goulburn Island The Goulburn Islands are a group of small islands and islets in the Arafura Sea off the coast of Arnhem Land in Northern Territory of Australia. The largest islands are Weyirra (North Goulburn Island) and Warruwi (South Goulburn Island), where ...

is actually closer, around 40 km north-east, there is no road access from there.) Wellington Range consists of

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

and basal conglomerates of the Kombolgie subgroup. Geologically, the area belongs to the "north-western extension of the Arnhem Shelf in the northern

McArthur Basin The McArthur Basin is a large intracratonic sedimentary basin in northern Australia, with an exposed area of about 180,000 km2. Most of it lies within the northeastern Northern Territory, but extends over the border into the state of Qu ...

". There has been limited mineral exploration and there is no mining in the area. The Range lies at the northernmost part of the Arnhem Land Plateau. The

Maung people The Maung people, or Warruwi, are an Aboriginal Australian people living on the Goulburn Islands, in the Arafura sea off the coast of the Northern Territory. Language Maung language, Maung is not one of the majority Pama-Nyungan languages, but b ...

are the

traditional owner Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have rights ...

s of the area. The area is most known for its major archaeological importance and its

Indigenous Australian rock art Indigenous Australian art includes art made by Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including collaborations with others. It includes works in a wide range of media including painting on leaves, bark painting, wood carving ...

, particularly in relation to early Makassan contact with Australia, with rock paintings of firearms and ships. Glass beads have also been found in the area, including a collection of headbands and necklaces made from such beads, found between 1925 and 1930 and now held by the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

. The rock art is extensive, and one study by anthropologists Paul Tacon and Sally K. May focuses on the Malarrak complex, a location of particular significance. Recorded in 2008, it includes a depiction of a prau and a knife of the style used by the

Makassan Makassar (, mak, ᨆᨀᨔᨑ, Mangkasara’, ) is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan ...

s, among other paintings. The Djulirri rock art complex is the largest site within the area of Maung speakers, where Ronald Lamilami is the senior traditional owner. There are over 3100 paintings, prints, stencils and

beeswax Beeswax (''cera alba'') is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus ''Apis''. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive. The hive work ...

figures at the site, which is the biggest

pigment A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compou ...

rock art site in Australia. Recording of the art work started in 2008.

Coordinates

References

{{reflist Mountain ranges of the Northern Territory Rock art in Australia Arnhem Land