Northern Territory
Location: Munmalary Homestead Complex, Kakadu
Threat: Damage and deterioration

Significance of Place
Munmalary, although of only recent origin (1960), as a complete standing homestead complex, is now the most intact physical representation of an important theme of Australian history: the beef and buffalo meat production in the Top End.

The buffalo meat industry, an unusual industry in the Australian context, was one of the few viable livestock industries in the Top End environment. The <??> Homestead complex also illustrates the contribution of Aboriginal people to the buffalo industry, and the ways which Aboriginal people inter-acted with non-Aboriginals in the Kakadu region.

Munmarlary Homestead Complex is significant also because it demonstrates the building style which was typical of pastoral buildings in that area of the tropical north.

Description of Threat
Munmalary is situated in Kakadu National Park, and is accessible only by 4-wheel drive vehicles after gaining permission from Parks Australia North. This makes it very difficult to carry out regular conservation and maintenance, and to monitor and assess its current status. The very fact that not many people know about the place or have current photos of it underlines the great difficulty remote and isolated homesteads, like Munmalary, face.

Action Required
While isolation can protect some places, it can also facilitate destruction, either deliberate action, or degradation through neglect.

As the poor state of Munmalary now demonstrates, Territory and Federal governments need to allocate increased resources and develop better mechanisms to enable the regular monitoring and conservation of significant remote homesteads such as Munmalary.