In Yolŋu terminology, Yalangbara is a yaku bathala (literally "big name"), a term for a general area that comprises various named localities, comprising the area south of Yirrkala including the Yalangbara Peninsula (also known as the Port Bradshaw Peninsula or Port Bradshaw) as well as Lalawuy Bay, adjacent coastline and the nearby islands such as Wapilina Island.
However, the name can be applied to different areas, depending upon context; it may refer to the small beach site related to the Djang'kawu myth (see below), or the whole eastern side of the peninsula.
[4] In Yolŋu terminology, Yalangbara is a yaku bathala (literally "big name"), a term for a general area that comprises various named localities,[2][5] comprising the area south of Yirrkala including the Yalangbara Peninsula, aka Port Bradshaw (Peninsula) as well as the nearby islands, Lalawuy Bay and adjacent coastline.
The sisters were the custodians of ceremonial law, and carried with them their digging sticks (mawalan[6]), feathered headwear and sacred objects hidden in their basket and mats.
[5][7][1] A site known as Balma, high among the sand dunes, is of particular significance as it was here that the Djang'kawu sisters gave birth to the first of the Rirratjingu clan.
[2] The Marika family, who trace their ancestry to the original Dhuwa moiety, are the traditional owners of the land, and they manage the area's rich biodiversity.
This was the first major survey exhibition of the Marikas' work, and covers around 50 named sites in the Yalangbara peninsula that were traversed by the Djang’kawu journey.