Liandra Gaykamangu on the meaning behind her swimwear designs

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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For a snapshot in time, we asked eight people around the country to reflect on Australia Now. Here, Liandra Gaykamangu, Creative Director & Founder of Liandra Swim in the NT, shares her thoughts on what the global pandemic has taught her.

Keep reading our Australia Now series here.

You were born in East Arnhem Land, but moved to Wollongong in 2000 with your mum. What drew you back to the Northern Territory?

Dad passed away in December 2019 when I was eight months pregnant with my third baby. When I returned home for his funeral, I found it comforting to have my wider family around me. I also wanted my kids to know their family, culture and language and thought it would be good for them to spend time in East Arnhem Land learning who they are. There was always an expectation in my family that I would achieve as much as I could and then bring that back to my community and make a positive impact. My parents always pushed me to achieve. When I left high school for university, Dad said to me: “Don’t forget who you are and where you’re from. Come home when you’re ready." After his passing, it felt right on a personal and professional level to make the move.

East Arnhem Land secluded beach
The remote beaches of East Arnhem Land in the NT. (Image: Tourism NT/Hayley Anderson)

You have a teaching degree. Why swimwear?

My mum remarried a surfer and we spent a lot of our family time on the beach. The ocean is a naturally comforting place for me; I am a Yolngu woman, and it is integral to our culture and livelihoods. I love swimwear and it felt like a comfortable place for me to use fashion and wrap it in education and give people an opportunity to learn about Indigenous women, our culture and stories. My swimwear is an extension of what I care deeply about. It’s who I am.

Model wears Tara Top and Tara Bottom from the Liandra Swim Community Collection
Tara Top and Tara Bottom from the Liandra Swim Community Collection. (Image: Tim Henry)

What are you most proud of with Liandra Swim?

My swimwear is wrapped up in all the things I love – it merges tradition with sustainability and education. I am really proud of my partnership with David Jones and our first runway at Afterpay Australia Fashion Week. I am also really proud of our growing Liandra Swim community and love seeing women wearing Liandra Swim.

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AI Prompt

Tell us about your new line, the Community Collection?

I wanted to put the focus on my beautiful Milingimbi Island. This collection is inspired by the landscape and my experience of being from there. My hand-drawn prints are a contemporary take on Aboriginal art and culture. I have some incredible artist family members who I look forward to working with, when the timing is right, because I want to do those songlines justice. I am not launching a collection just to make money. It has to make sense and be done correctly with appropriate conversations and family consultations.

What has launching Liandra Swim taught you about yourself?

To always believe in myself. I had people say, ‘Swimwear is an oversaturated market’. But I stayed true to my vision and now, being able to partner with David Jones and being recognised by international magazines such as Vogue in the US, Elle (Italy), Harper’s Bazaar and The Zoe Report after just a few years in the game validates that. I am glad I followed my gut and my dream.

Proud Yolngu woman Liandra-Gaykamangu-in-Milingimbi in East Arnhem Land
Proud Yolngu woman, Liandra Gaykamangu returned home to Milingimbi in the Crocodile Islands in East Arnhem Land, after rthe launch of her swimwear line, Liandra Swim. (Image: Yasmin Steel)

How do you perceive Australia right now?

I am the co-CEO of an NFP, Enterprise Learning Projects, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to achieve their goals in business and entrepreneurship, so I have a lot of conversations around social enterprise and I see conversations shifting, which is exciting. The batons are being passed to the next generation. And I can’t speak for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But I am in a position to take that baton from those in fashion, education and the social enterprise space and continue to open discussions.

Social enterprise is not a new term for Indigenous Australians, is it?

No. It’s not. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, community impact has always been a part of how we do business. I have to make money, because that is how you grow and stay in business. But money is not how I, as an Aboriginal woman, view success or how I see our biggest impact.

How do non-Indigenous Australians find pride in our Indigenous history?

I highly recommend for non-Indigenous people to connect with their local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community first before feeling the need to explore beyond that. It’s a huge sign of respect to understand the stories of the Country you live on and engage with every day. It’s really important to know that Australia is versatile in terms of culture and language so stories may be similar, but there will always be differences. It is also good to be mindful of history and how that has impacted people. Australia is a very big place with varying cultures, languages and impacts. Lean into your local community and engage with where you spend most of your time. Then go and explore all Indigenous Australia has to offer, so you can get a deeper understanding of why we have, and need, so many different voices, faces and perspectives.

Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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Discovering East Arnhem: Australia’s most unique and rewarding corner

    Joanne Millares Joanne Millares
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    Hard to reach and harder to forget, East Arnhem offers something rare in modern travel: the chance to slow down and experience Country on its own terms.

    The sky feels bigger in East Arnhem . It stretches wide and uninterrupted above rouged earth, stringybark woodland and beaches so empty they seem to belong to another era. The coastline curves for kilometres without a footprint and the horizon runs on forever.

    For comedian Lou Wall, the scale of the place was the first thing that hit them.

    “The sheer openness,” they say. “The sky feels infinite and the land stretches out endlessly. It’s pretty breathtaking visually.”

    But the physical landscape is only part of the story. The real reward isn’t only the scenery but the shift in perspective the journey brings. Visitors stop trying to tick off the destination and a real engagement takes over.

    “It made me never want to travel again,” Wall jokes. “In that I never wanted to leave East Arnhem.”

    Getting there

    Aerial shot of East Arnhem’s coastline as cars trace the curve of the shore.
    Sail along the remote coastline on an expedition cruise.

    Reaching East Arnhem is part of the adventure. Travellers typically fly into Gove Airport near Nhulunbuy via Darwin or Cairns, or arrive by expedition cruise along the remote coastline. Others make the journey overland along rutted dirt roads that cut through East Arnhem’s small pockets of monsoon forest.

    However you arrive, there’s a distinct feeling of crossing into somewhere different. Permits are required to visit the region, reflecting the fact that this is Yolŋu land where communities and traditional owners maintain deep cultural connections to Country.

    The extra planning becomes part of the experience. By the time visitors arrive, they understand they’re entering a place not just of respect, but also patience and curiosity.

    At one with nature

    East Arnhem’s  landscapes leave a strong imprint. For Wall, one place in particular still lingers in their memory: Ngalarrkpuy , also known as Lonely Beach, near Bawaka Homeland.

    “I genuinely felt like I was living inside an Instagram filter,” they say. “One of the most stunning feats of nature I’ve ever seen. The water was so clear I swear I could see even the fish smiling.”

    Across the region, natural experiences unfold at a slower pace. Fishing, beachcombing and island hopping reveal the rhythm of the coastline. The tides shape daily life and the vastness of the landscape makes even simple moments feel downright cinematic.

    For visitors with limited time, Wall says the Bawaka Homeland experience is unmissable.

    “I just left and I’m already planning when I can get back there.”

    The sense of remoteness is part of the appeal. In a country where many beaches are crowded and well-trodden, East Arnhem’s coastline still feels wonderfully wild.

    Immersing in local culture

    A visitor spends a meaningful moment alongside Yolŋu guides, gaining insight into their deep cultural knowledge and connection to the land.
    Experience authentic moments with the locals.

    Culture is woven through every experience in East Arnhem. Visitors have the opportunity to spend time on Country with Yolŋu guides and knowledge holders who share stories and traditions that have been passed down for generations.

    For Wall, one of the most powerful moments came during a conversation with a Yolŋu elder.

    “I got to meet a traditional elder, Mayalil, in Nhulunbuy,” they say. “Listening to her talk about her home made the land feel alive in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”

    The region is also home to internationally recognised Aboriginal art centres where artists shape works deeply connected to land and family knowledge.

    Music carries the same cultural energy. East Arnhem has produced globally recognised artists such as King Stingray and Baker Boy, blending Yolŋu language, storytelling and contemporary sound.

    Wall experienced this musical spirit first-hand.

    “A jam session around the fire was it for me,” they say. “Letting the deep joy and history of their music wash over me…  and meeting a few of the King Stingray musicians was unreal.”

    These moments of human connection often become the most memorable part of a visit.

    Spotting local wildlife

    An aerial view of the beach shows tiny figures lined up across the white sand, moving as if in a rhythmic dance.
    Step into a world where nature reigns.

    The wildlife of East Arnhem adds another layer to the experience. The region is home to an extraordinary range of animals, from waterbirds and turtles to dugongs, dolphins and the formidable saltwater crocodile.

    Wall admits they didn’t actually spot a croc during their visit.

    “Devastatingly, I didn’t see one,” they laugh. “But with all the stories from the locals I definitely gained a healthy respect for caution.”

    Some of the most memorable wildlife encounters can be surprisingly small., At Banubanu Beach Retreat on Bremer Island, Wall remembers walking along the beach one morning and watching it come alive.

    “As you walk through the sand you see hundreds of crabs scurrying into their holes as you pass by,” they say. “Such a small thing, but it was completely magical.”

    Moments like this reveal the quieter rhythms of East Arnhem, where even the smallest creatures seem to play a part in the landscape.

    Visitors who make the journey soon learn the most important travel tip of all.

    “Go in open-minded with a sense of curiosity,” Wall says. “Be prepared to ditch your plans. The land and the locals will guide you on an adventure no spreadsheets could ever compete with.”

    And most importantly, they add, don’t rush.

    “The land and people deserve your time and attention. You’ll be all the better for slowing down.”

    For more information on visiting East Arnhem, head to eastarnhem.com.au .