Gove Peninsula
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Gove and Arnhem Land Northern Territory |
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 Gove and Arnhem Land
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| Coordinates | 12°17′0″S 136°49′0″E / 12.28333°S 136.81667°ECoordinates: 12°17′0″S 136°49′0″E / 12.28333°S 136.81667°E |
The Gove Peninsula (12°17′S 136°49′E / 12.283°S 136.817°E) is at the northeastern corner of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. The peninsula became strategically important during World War II when a Royal Australian Air Force base was constructed at what is now Gove Airport.
The Gove Peninsula is on the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria within Arnhem Land, a vast tract of Aboriginal owned land on the Northern Territory coastline. The township of Nhulunbuy is the main commercial and service centre of the Peninsula and is 600 kilometres east of Darwin.
As Europeans started land exploration throughout Australia and subsequently settled closer to Yolngu homelands, conflicts with the Yolngu became more frequent. In 1931, an area of 96,000 km2 was proclaimed Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve. Today the Land Trust holds about 100,000 km2 as Aboriginal freehold land (with the exception of mining leases). The Gove Peninsula was heavily involved in the defence of Australia during World War II. There were three operational air squadrons based there at an airfield on the site on the present Gove airport and a flying boat base at Drimmie Head. The Peninsula derives its name from a RAAF navigator who died in a mid air collision.
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