Nyinyikay

Ninyikay was established by Mowarra Ganambarr (1917-2005) along with two other homeland centres in North East Arnhem Land: Mata Mata and Rorruwuy. Mowarra was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2000 at age 83 for building the outstations in the 1960s and 1970s.

Nyinyikay is situated approximately 70 kms west of Nhulunbuy in Arnhem Bay, North East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. It is the home of Nancy Burarrwanga, Mowarra's wife and her sons and daughters, who live a very traditional lifestyle with a modern mix. Access to Nyinyikay is usually by charter flight, this takes about 20 minutes. Road access is open to 4wds in the Dry Season, the trip takes about 3½ hours one way.

The families at Nyinyikay want to provide small groups of visitors with the opportunity to interact in daily life with traditional Indigenous people and participate in daily activities, sharing knowledge and gaining understanding in a relaxed homeland environment.

The community hopes that one day, they will be able to set up a Homeland School for the children at Nyinyikay. A school will provide a solid foundation for maintaining our culture and tradition and with "two-way learning", the pupils will be well prepared to undertake further education outside the homeland if they choose to do so.