The story of this place
At Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu, Aboriginal artists have been painting the same rock shelter for at least 20,000 years — the most recent paintings are a few hundred years old; the oldest are among the earliest examples of human artistic expression on Earth. The X-ray style paintings show animals' internal organs visible through their skin — a style unique to this region of Arnhem Land. Across Kakadu, over 5,000 rock art sites have been recorded, with an estimated 15,000 individual images.
Kakadu is the size of Switzerland and contains six World Heritage-listed ecosystems from tidal flats to sandstone escarpments. The Bininj/Mungguy people have continuously occupied and managed this country for at least 65,000 years — one of the longest records of human habitation anywhere on Earth. The park was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both its natural and cultural values — one of only a handful of 'dual' listings in the world. It is also the site of the Ranger uranium mine, which operated within the park's boundaries — a point of ongoing controversy between miners, government and traditional owners.