Arnhem Land

MAF's operations in Arnhem Land developed from the pioneering aviation work of early Anglican and Methodist missionaries, which commenced in the mid-1930s. MAF was invited to assume responsibility for this work in 1973.

In conjunction with our own operations serving outstation Aboriginal communities, we have undertaken management of aircraft owned by Aboriginal community councils. Between 1982 and 2002, MAF managed Aboriginal Air Services in Alice Springs, Central Australia, building up a fleet of eight aircraft, before the Aboriginal councils took on self-management.

Our vision in Arnhem Land is to provide a professional aviation service for those people living and working in the remote Aboriginal communities throughout East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia, while at the same time being an effective Christian witness to those we live alongside and serve.  We do this by positioning staff in communities across East Arnhem Land operating a combination of MAF bases and Aboriginal owned airlines.

We fly education and government, as well as pastors and essential supplies to and from the isolated communities. Flights also transport medical personnel to outlying communities and patients in to hospital.  The Yolngu and Nunggubuyu (Aboriginal) people use MAF flights for getting essential supplies, selling arts and crafts and to attend traditional ceremonies and funerals. Our staff are sometimes involved with search operations when they arise, including searches for lost boats, aircraft, and people over vast areas.

With few ministers and missionaries in this area, one of our key roles is the provision of flights for local Aboriginal ministers. Flights enable them to reach remote areas to share the Gospel and encourage the local Christians. 

Permanent bases are located at Gove Airport, Milingimbi, Ramingining, Numbulwar, Elcho Island and Lake Evella.

Our central base at Gove provides administration and aircraft maintenance and MAF's main air terminal. On the Gove peninsula, our staff live in Nhulunbuy or Yirrkala, an aboriginal community 20km outside town situated between Nhulunbuy and Gove airport.

From the permanent bases staff serve the outlying communities providing support for a network of small outstations, known locally as homelands. These homelands are each family group's traditional land, and are very important to the sense of identity and well being of many Aboriginal people.

We also work with Aboriginal communities to provide flight services. Some aboriginal communities own their own aircraft and have established agreements with us whereby we provide pilots to operate the aircraft on behalf of the communities as well as engineers and, in some cases, management staff too. Currently Marthakal Yolngu Airline (Elcho Island) and Laynhapuy Aviation (Gove) are owned by Aboriginal homelands councils.

There are 15 aircraft, including 7 GA8 Airvans, 6 Cessna 206s and 2 Cessna 210s. MAF owns four of these aircraft; the other ten are maintained and operated by MAF but owned by other organisations. There are 27 international staff (job holders) and 6 national staff.

Types of flying done by MAF in Arnhem Land

• Medical
• Education
• Carrying supplies to and from the outlying islands
• Church
• Missions

Examples of organisations served by MAF in Arnhem Land

• Anglican Church of Australia (the Diocese of The Northern Territory - including local parishes/churches)
• Assemblies of God
• Church Mission Society (CMS)
• Galiwinku Bible Translation Project (part of ARDS-Aboriginal Resource & Development Services)
• Karl Musche Ministries (an aboriginal evangelical missionary)
• Red Dust Role Models