The Heritage Precinct contains the key buildings around which a mission was built in the 1940s, by the Church Missionary Society (CMS). The original mission was set up at Emerald River in 1921, but by 1943 a decision had been made to move the mission to the current site near the mouth of the Angurugu River.

Local Aboriginal people worked with white missionaries to construct the new buildings at Angurugu, making use of local timber. The Mission was well-established by the end of the war, with the completion of many buildings including the two present-day ‘mission houses' and the School. Work began on the Church in 1946.

The Precinct is significant for its associations with the activities of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in the Northern Territory in the first half of the twentieth century. In particular, it provides information about the changing relationship between white society and the local people of Groote Eylandt.

The buildings form a picturesque group, centred around the Church. The construction of the buildings illustrates a successful solution to the problem of living in the remote tropics.