Kakadu National Park

Kakadu lies in the tropical north of Australia’s Northern Territory, east of Darwin. Its landscapes range from mangrove-fringed tidal plains and broad floodplains to low hills, sandstone escarpments and rugged stone country. The park includes wetlands and river systems whose appearance changes markedly between the wet and dry seasons.

Aboriginal people have lived in and cared for Kakadu over tens of thousands of years. The park’s rock art and archaeological sites record knowledge, skills and ways of life across a long span of time. The cultural landscape remains living: Bininj/Mungguy communities continue their relationships with Country, and traditional knowledge is relevant to contemporary management.

Kakadu contains habitats including savanna woodlands, open forest, monsoon forest, freshwater floodplains, mangroves and tidal mudflats. Wet-season rains spread shallow freshwater across large areas and replenish rivers and billabongs; as the floodplains dry, wildlife gathers around remaining water. These interconnected habitats support a wide range of plants and animals, including rare and endemic species.

Kakadu is recognized on the UNESCO World Heritage List for both natural and cultural values. The listing was added in stages beginning in 1981, with later extensions. Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water describes Kakadu as one of four Australian places on the list for both kinds of outstanding universal value. The park is jointly managed by the Director of National Parks and a Board of Management with an Aboriginal majority representing traditional owners.