Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre

The Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre, located in the Aboriginal community of Yirrkala, just 19 kilometres from Nhulunbuy, is one of Australia’s premier Aboriginal art centres. The meaning of Buku-Larrŋgay in Yolŋu matha is “the feeling on your face as it is struck by the first rays of the sun”.

The Yolŋu owned art centre was established in 1975 and supports the people of Yirrkala and more than 20 homelands in region. Today, the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre offers many experiences for visitors including a museum, a screen print workshop, a theatrette and multi-media centre, large gallery spaces, the Yirrkala Church Panels annexe and a retail shop where you can purchase your own special piece of art.

The Yolŋu artists from this region have established a worldwide reputation for excellence and are well known for their bark paintings and memorial poles, woodcarvings and yidaki (didjeridu). The region is in fact the traditional home of the yidaki, and some of the world’s finest didjeridus are still made in Yirrkala at the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre.

The Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Museum displays a collection of works specifically created for it in the mid-1970s and early 1980s by traditional owners which provides an outline of the kinship structure of the Yolŋu world. The jewels of the collection are the two four metre tall Yirrkala Church Panels (1962-3) that have been described as amongst the most important Australian art in existence.

Visiting the art centre does not require a permit but if you would like to explore Yirrkala and the beautiful beaches of the community while there you will require a permit from the Northern Land Council. Entry to the Museum is by gold coin donation.

opening hours

• Monday to Friday: 8am - 4.30pm
• Saturday: 8am - 12pm
• Sunday: closed