Marege'
As early as the year 1700, Bugis traders from Makassar sailed to North East Arnhem Land on the northern Australian coast. They call called this area Marege’, meaning “wild country”.
The relationships forged between the traders and the Yolngu people represent some of the earliest contact between our peoples.
The Bugis and the Yolngu peoples traded for over four centuries and a record of this friendship is found in the art and songlines of the Yolngu people.
In 2014 the Australian Embassy commissioned a batik known as the Yirrkala Batik based on a bark painting by Naruapu, a Yonglu elder and artist, which visually depicts these songlines.
