42-606: Download coordinates as: Aurukun / ær ə ˈ k uː n / is a town and coastal locality in the Shire of Aurukun and the Shire of Cook in Far North Queensland , Australia. It is an Indigenous community. In the 2021 census , the locality of Aurukun had a population of 1,101 people, of whom 997 (88.7%) identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. Aurukun is situated approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Weipa . The town faces west to
84-623: A 50-year lease to the Shire of Aurukun to be trustee for the land within the boundaries, with an elected Aboriginal Council. Aurukun and Mornington Shire remain the only Aboriginal communities in Queensland constituted as local authorities. Following the Wik Peoples v Queensland determination in December 1996, the land reverted to native title held by the Wik people . The focal area of
126-479: A large surrounding area, many against their will, to the mission settlement. Aurukun was "ruled" for 40 years by Reverend William Mackenzie , as the missions Chief Protector for the Aboriginal Protection Board . The town once had a cattle station , sawmill , butcher and bakery. The settlement was expanded in 1922 to include Kendall River The town was eventually called Aurukun, which is
168-554: A private security company to patrol the community. The Wik and Kugu Art Centre in Aukurun opened in 1987, making it the oldest established art centre on Cape York Peninsula. The centre has about 30 members, and artists from the Centre participate in competitions and exhibitions worldwide. Aurukun artists are famous for their sculptures, which traditionally were carved from soft woods for use in ceremony. The Aurukun Shire Council operate
210-479: A stabbing death and a riot involving over 250 people, in which a number of houses were burned down. It is believed that alcohol illegally brought into the alcohol-free community was a contributing factor in the violence. One fifth of the town's population fled to avoid the violence, with 110 sheltering in bushland outside the town and 120 fleeing to the town of Coen 300 kilometres (190 mi) away. By 21 January 2020 there were still 280 residents unwilling to return to
252-404: Is 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from town and provides access to Archer River ( crocodiles present). Umban is a 4wd camping ground just under 2 hrs drive. In 1978 the community was without a canteen and most of the locals wanted it to stay that way but the Queensland government pushed for one. It coincided with the imposition of a local council to open up the land to mining hitherto opposed by
294-647: Is drawn from five bores located across the town. From October 2014, fluoride was introduced to the Aurukun water supply, following public consultation. A sewer system is in place in the community. In 2011 and 2012, the Aurukun water and sewerage services were upgraded extensively, including to replace water mains, upgrade bore facilities and install new sewerage lines. In 2007, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that few people in Aurukun had phones. The community also has no ADSL broadband service and receives all communications services via radio transmission towers. Aurukun
336-422: Is implementing an Australian curriculum into the school alongside Direct Instruction. The Aurukun Primary Health Care Centre is run in partnership by Torres and Cape Health Service and Apunipima Cape York Health Council, a community controlled Aboriginal Medical Service. Doctors conduct clinics 5 days each week, with other visiting specialists regularly conducting outreach clinics. Emergencies are flown to Cairns by
378-406: Is known as a strong First Nations community. It is the last Aboriginal community in Queensland who have a traditional language ( Wik Mungkan ) as a thriving and strong first language, with more than 1200 fluent speakers from children to elders. Many cultural-based programs, incorporating the five Wik Language Groups have been facilitated from the local Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKC); This includes
420-543: Is one of the most closely monitored communities in Australia. In mid-2008 34 security cameras were installed throughout the community after consultation with the Aurukun Shire Council. The cameras cover almost all areas of the township and are constantly monitored from Cairns . The cameras cost $ 12,000 a month to operate, which is a significant reduction from the $ 60,000 a month that was previously paid to
462-482: Is split between the City of Newcastle and City of Lake Macquarie LGAs; and Woodville , which is split between the City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council LGAs. In unincorporated areas , localities are declared by the relevant state authority. Shire of Aurukun The Shire of Aurukun is a local government area in Far North Queensland , Australia . The shire covers part of western Cape York Peninsula ,
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#1732776065752504-412: The 2021 census , the locality of Aurukun had a population of 1,101 people, of whom 997 (88.7%) identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.. Aurukun has a primary school which is operated by Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA) in a unique partnership with Education Queensland. The school opened on 29 January 1974 and caters for students from pre-prep to year 7. The school remains
546-507: The Gulf of Carpentaria , and during the wet season, roads are extremely hard to drive on. The area is rich in bauxite . Kugu Mu'inh (also known as Wik Muinh, Kuku Muinh, Wik Muin, Kuku-Mu'inh) is a traditional language of the area which includes landscape within the local government boundaries of the Cook Shire . The first recorded contact between Europeans and Aboriginal Australians
588-580: The Northern Territory had not completed this process. The CGNA's Gazetteer of Australia recognises two types of locality: bounded and unbounded. Bounded localities include towns, villages, populated places, local government towns and unpopulated town sites, while unbounded localities include place names, road corners and bends, corners, meteorological stations, ocean place names and surfing spots. Sometimes, both localities and suburbs are referred to collectively as "address localities". In
630-440: The 'electro magnet', binding the mouth to stop verbal abuse and swearing." In 1956, Victor and Isobel Wolmby were exiled from the camp because Victor had fathered a child with another woman. Victor was to become recognised as a leader and Isobel became a source of the group's verbal history. However, many people remained outside the mission up until the 1950s. Aurukun Post Office opened on 1 July 1972. Wik woman Alison Woolla
672-545: The Aboriginal name of a lagoon on the Watson River Under the missionaries, children were confined to dormitories although they returned to their families during the vacations. Young adults were trained for servile work. MacKenzie's punishments were described as "harsh, unorthodox, and arbitrary - they included the use of banishment, corporal punishment, including flogging and beating, use of his fists, use of
714-534: The Australian census every five years, as particularly difficult to measure accurately. Reasons for this include cultural and language barriers, transport and geographical spread of the population, who are mostly located in isolated communities. As such, all figures are likely to be lower than the actual population on the census date. In the 2016 census , the Shire of Aurukun had a population of 1,269 people. In
756-745: The Biocultural Project at the Wik Mungkan IKC in Aurukun for several years, contributing his rich linguistic expertise and cultural knowledge in leading learning on country activities with students from the local school. The Aurukun Shire Council operates the Wik Mungkan Indigenous Knowledge Centre in Aurukun, in partnership with the State Library of Queensland . This was the sixth IKC to open, on 22 November 2002. The council has operated
798-683: The IKC for 20 years, with periods of closure for various reasons. The IKC currently offers library services, as well as a location for the Aurukun Flexi Learning Centre which focuses on culturally based learning, including Wik language classes. The population of the Shire of Aurukun, along with the Shires of Cook , Torres and Mornington , have been singled out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), who conduct
840-678: The Kaap Thonam: Woyan-Min Biocultural Project App (the Biocultural Project). In 2022, the Biocultural Project was led by Perry Yunkaporta, Wik Elder and Apelech Clan songman and traditional owner and included Noel Waterman, Aurukun IKC Coordinator and Gabe Waterman, Wik and Kugu Art Centre Manager. Engaging the community, they developed the software application 'Kaap Thonam, a Wik Seasons Calendar', teaching important knowledge of Aurukun's seven seasons. Perry Yunkaporta has been working on
882-508: The RFDS. The clinic is open 8-5 365 days a year, with nurses covering after hours for emergencies. Aurukun Shire Council engages a qualified vet to visit every two to three months, and de-sexing of pets is free for indigenous residents. Electricity is supplied by Ergon (formerly FNQEB) through diesel generators supplying power 24 hours a day. Station stability is excellent, typically better than grid supplied sites. The Water supply for Aurukun
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#1732776065752924-710: The Sale of Opium Act 1897 by the Presbyterian Church . The Aurukun Mission was established in 1904 and Aboriginal people from all over Cape York were relocated there. In 1978, the land was taken over by the Queensland Government , who enacted the Local Government (Aboriginal Lands) Act 1978 , proclaimed the Shire of Aurukun and granted to it Aboriginal Land Lease No. 1. An elected council lasted just one month and an administrator
966-667: The Wik Mungkan Indigenous Knowledge Centre at 39 Kang Kang Road. Aurukun is home to a community swimming pool, and a new large basketball hall / recreational centre. There are outdoor basketball courts and a rugby field. Aurukun participates in football carnivals and softball with other communities in the Cape region every couple of months. Aurukun Uniting Church is at 502 Kang Kang Street (corner Themp Street, 13°21′17″S 141°43′46″E / 13.3548°S 141.7295°E / -13.3548; 141.7295 ( Aurukun Uniting Church ) ). Bushwalking, fishing and some camping are
1008-644: The Wik lies between the Archer and Edward Rivers of Western Cape York Peninsula and inland to Coen . Most Wik people still live in this triangle. In December 2007, nine Aurukun males received probation and other light sentences after being found guilty of raping a ten-year-old girl. The mild sentences received international condemnation and were the catalyst for a review of sexual abuse sentencing in Queensland Indigenous communities. In March 2008, it
1050-652: The best of both worlds. The school provides an extended school day which involves artistic, musical and sports programs (in partnership with national bodies) which aims to give children increased confidence and socially prepare them for moving between homelands, work and study in the wider world. In 2008, one in three children were not enrolled for primary school. Following welfare reform trials introduced in July 2008, school attendance had risen from an average of 37% to 63% in September 2009. Following incidents where teachers and
1092-510: The community of alcohol completely, and has spurred some black-market "sly-grogging". Suburbs and localities (Australia) Suburbs and localities are the names of geographic subdivisions in Australia , used mainly for address purposes. The term locality is used in rural areas, while the term suburb is used in urban areas. Australian postcodes closely align with the boundaries of localities and suburbs. This Australian usage of
1134-508: The community. When social problems ensued the government used it as justification for intervention. However, by 2009 Aurukun Council introduced an alcohol management plan to the community which completely banned alcohol. A previous alcohol management plan had restricted drinking at the Tavern to three hours each day. Aurukun is one of 19 communities across Queensland with alcohol restrictions in place. The Aurukun alcohol ban has been unable to rid
1176-453: The dominant pursuits for tourists visiting. Visitors are required to apply for a permit from the Aurukun Shire Council prior to entering the community. Possum Creek is a swimming hole 30 kilometres (19 mi) West of the town. Sandy Creek is a swimming hole 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Possum Creek. Emu Creek is a 4wd track 37 kilometres (23 mi) to the old road turn off and then 80 kilometres (50 mi) of Bush track. Aurukun landing
1218-438: The first instance, decisions about the names and boundaries of suburbs and localities are made by the local council in which they are located based on criteria such as community recognition. Local council decisions are, however, subject to approval by the state's geographical names board. The boundaries of some suburbs and localities overlap two or more local government areas (LGAs). Examples of this are Adamstown Heights , which
1260-639: The help of the Federal government . After lengthy negotiations, legislation for self-management of the two reserves was introduced into federal parliament and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Queensland Reserves and Communities Self Management) Act 1978 was passed on 7 April 1978. Further negotiations took place between State and Federal Ministers and on 22 May 1978, the Local Government (Aboriginal Lands) Act 1978 came into force, giving
1302-534: The most northerly section of the Australian mainland. It covers an area of 7,424 square kilometres (2,866.4 sq mi), and has existed as a local government area since 1978. In the 2021 census , the Shire of Aurukun had a population of 1,101 people. According to the earliest records, Cape Keerweer , located on the Gulf of Carpentaria coast, was the first site where Europeans wished to settle in Australia. A Dutch ship with Captain Willem Janszoon
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1344-535: The only school in Aurukun. Classroom instruction is dedicated to teaching mainstream curriculum in English literacy and numeracy using Direct Instruction . The Direct Instruction method focuses on individual student outcomes, repetition and weekly tests with the aim to ensure students are mastering literacy and numeracy basics. Students are also taught a comprehensive Indigenous culture and language program which aims to give children fluency in their own cultures and enjoy
1386-608: The past as informal units, but in 1996 the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping and the Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia (CGNA) decided to name and establish official boundaries for all localities and suburbs. There has subsequently been a process to formally define their boundaries and to gazette them, which is almost complete. In March 2006, only South Australia and
1428-606: The principal were threatened, rocks were thrown at their housing, and children as young as six tried to steal a car, all teachers were evacuated from the school in May 2016. As a result, the school was closed for six weeks with only distance education programs being continued. The incidents have drawn the effectiveness of the Direct Instruction method into question, and as of July 2016 the Queensland Government
1470-585: The term "suburb" differs from common American and British usage, where it typically means a smaller, frequently separate residential community outside, but close to, a larger city. The Australian usage is closer to the American or British use of "district" or "neighbourhood", and can be used to refer to any portion of a city. Unlike the use in British or American English, this term can include inner-city, outer-metropolitan and industrial areas. Localities existed in
1512-718: The town, and emergency dog food was flown into Aurukun to feed the 70 dogs abandoned by those who had not returned. Some staff members of the Aurukun Shire Council resigned their positions, unwilling to return to the community. In July 2020, the Local Government Association of Queensland's Alison Woolla Memorial Award was created, to "acknowledges those individuals who are making a significant, local contribution to awareness and prevention of domestic and family violence". The inaugural award, which went to Pormpuraaw women Myrtle Foote and May Ballie in October 2020,
1554-602: Was appointed. The State's media at the time generally was of the opinion that bauxite revenues were a major factor in the Government's decision making on the issue. In the 1990s, an elected council once again took charge. The Shire of Aurukun includes the following settlement: Aurukun is known as part of the Wik Nation . The location of Aurukun has the Wik Mungkan Tribe as traditional custodians and
1596-731: Was near Aurukun on the Janszoon voyage of 1605–06 . The Aurukun Mission (known then as the Archer River Mission Station) was established on 4 August 1904 for the Presbyterian Church of Australia by the Reverend Arthur and Mrs Mary Richter, two Moravian missionaries and managed under the provisions of the Queensland Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 . Aboriginal people were relocated from
1638-610: Was presented by Woolla's daughter Keri Tamwoy, Mayor of Aurukun. In the 2006 census , the locality of Aurukun had a population of 1,044 people. In the 2016 census , the locality of Aurukun had a population of 1,269 people, including 1,147 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 95.8% of people were born in Australia. 10.6% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Cape York Peninsula languages 61.6% and Wik Mungkan 14.7%. The most common responses for religion were Uniting Church 44.3%, No Religion 29.3% and Presbyterian and Reformed 11.0%. In
1680-491: Was the first female mayor of Aurukun, serving from 1983 to 1985, and again 1991–1994. She was largely responsible for establishing a women's shelter in the community, and was honoured by having an award named after her in 2020 (see below). In 1978, the Queensland government decided to take over the administration of both the Aurukun and Mornington Island missions. Both communities were against this, and protested, seeking
1722-506: Was the first recorded Dutch landing at Cape Keerweer. Captain Janszoon wanted to build a city at the site but the exploitative action of his crew led to a fight between the local Aboriginal people and the sailors. It resulted in the killing of various crew members and the ship had to leave. The territory of the Shire of Aurukun was previously an Aboriginal reserve administered under the Queensland Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of
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1764-403: Was widely reported that standards of justice, education and child safety had collapsed in Aurukun, and that the local community justice group had called for children to be removed from the town for their own safety and wellbeing. Aurukun is home to a plethora of Aboriginal groups . As of 2013 there were some 50 to 60 families from five major clan groups. On 1 January 2020, Aurukun was rocked by
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