Shire of Aurukun

Local government area in Queensland, Australia

Shire of Aurukun
Queensland

Location within Queensland

Population| 1,101 (2021 census)[1]
• Density| 0.14830/km2 (0.38410/sq mi)
Established| 1978
Area| 7,424 km2 (2,866.4 sq mi)[2]
Mayor| Keri Pauline Tamwoy
Council seat| Aurukun
Region| Far North Queensland
State electorate(s)| Cook
Federal division(s)| Leichhardt
Website| Shire of Aurukun
| LGAs around Shire of Aurukun:

Cook | Cook | Napranum
Gulf of Carpentaria | Shire of Aurukun | Cook
Gulf of Carpentaria | Pormpuraaw | Cook

The Shire of Aurukun is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. The shire covers part of western Cape York Peninsula, 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.[1]

## History

[edit]

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 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.[3]

The territory of the Shire of Aurukun was previously an Aboriginal reserve administered under the Queensland Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of 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 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.[4]

In the 1990s, an elected council once again took charge.

## Towns and localities

[edit]

The Shire of Aurukun includes the following settlement:

* Aurukun

## Language

[edit]

Aurukun is known as part of the Wik Nation.[5] The location of Aurukun has the Wik Mungkan Tribe as traditional custodians and 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 the Kaap Thonam: Woyan-Min Biocultural Project App (the Biocultural Project).[5]

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 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.[5]

## Libraries

[edit]

The Aurukun Shire Council operates the Wik Mungkan Indigenous Knowledge Centre in Aurukun,[6] in partnership with the State Library of Queensland. This was the sixth IKC to open, on 22 November 2002. The council has operated 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.[5]

## Demographics

[edit]

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 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.[citation needed]

Year  | Population

|

1981 | 791
1986 | 937
1991 | 784
1996 | 781
2001 | 1,032
2006 | 1,043
2016 | 1,269
2021 | 1,101

In the 2016 census, the Shire of Aurukun had a population of 1,269 people.[7]

In the 2021 census, the Shire of Aurukun had a population of 1,101 people.[1]

## Chairs and mayors

[edit]

Start of term  | End of term  | Chairman/Mayor  | Notes

|
|
|

2008  | 2012  | Neville James Pootchemunka  | [8]
2012  | 2020  | Dereck Walpo  | Elected on 16 June 2012 in a postponed election due to the death of one of the original candidates.[9] Re-elected unopposed in 2016.[10]
2020  | present | Kerrie Pauline Tamwoy  | [11]

## Election results

[edit]

### 2024

[edit]

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 Queensland local elections § Aurukun.[edit]

2024 Queensland local elections: Aurukun[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Independent | Craig Koomeeta (elected)  | 433  | 20.54  | +2.80
| Independent | Leona Nanette Yunkaporta (elected)  | 424  | 20.11  | +20.11
| Independent | Eloise Yunkaporta (elected)  | 375  | 17.79  | +17.79
| Independent | Jayden Marriott (elected)  | 369  | 17.50  | +17.50
| Independent | Kempo Tamwoy  | 317  | 15.04  | −3.60
| Independent | Bobby Adidi  | 190  | 9.01  | +0.38
Total formal votes  | 527  | 93.61  | +6.53
Informal votes  | 36  | 6.39  | −6.53
Turnout | 563  | 60.28  | −6.63

### 2020

[edit]

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2020 Queensland local elections § Aurukun.[edit]

2020 Queensland local elections: Aurukun[13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Independent | Kempo Tamwoy (elected)  | 352  | 18.64  | +18.64
| Independent | Craig Koomeeta (elected)  | 335  | 17.74  | +17.74
| Independent | Delys Yunkaporta (elected)  | 251  | 13.29  | +13.29
| Independent | Anna Kerindun (elected)  | 197  | 10.43  | +10.43
| Independent | Noel Waterman  | 179  | 9.48  | +9.48
| Independent | Bobby Adidi  | 163  | 8.63  | +0.69
| Independent | Douglas Ahlers  | 147  | 7.79  | +7.79
| Independent | Stuart Marquardt  | 134  | 7.10  | −4.11
| Independent | Jonah Yunkaporta  | 130  | 6.89  | +6.89
Turnout |  | 66.91  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Shire of Aurukun (LGA)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. ^ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
3. ^ "History". Aurukun Shire Council. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
4. ^ Cribb, Margaret (December 1978). "Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1978". Australian Journal of Politics and History. 24 (3): 371–372\. ISSN 0004-9522.
5. ^ a b c d This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Wik Mungkan Indigenous Knowledge Centre (22 November 2022) by Indigenous services published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 18 January 2023.
6. ^ "Aurukun Shire Council". Public Libraries Connect. 2 February 2018. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
7. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Shire of Aurukun (LGA)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
8. ^ "2008 Aurukun Shire - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 31 August 2010. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
9. ^ "2012 Aurukun Shire - Postponed Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 24 October 2012. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
10. ^ "2016 Aurukun Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 19 April 2016. Archived from the original on 25 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
11. ^ "2020 Local Government Elections: Saturday, 28 March 2020". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 2020. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
12. ^ "Aurukun Shire Division 1 Councillor". Electoral Commission Queensland. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
13. ^ "Aurukun Shire Division 1 Councillor". Electoral Commission of Queensland.

## External links

[edit]

* "Aurukun Aboriginal Shire Council". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.

* v
* t
* e

Far North Queensland, Queensland

Cities|

* Cairns

Townships|

* Atherton
* Aurukun
* Babinda
* Badu Island
* Bamaga
* Burketown
* Cardwell
* Chillagoe
* Coen
* Cooktown
* Croydon
* Dimbulah
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* Georgetown
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* Weipa
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* Yungaburra

Local Government Areas|

* Aurukun
* Burke
* Cairns
* Carpentaria
* Cassowary Coast
* Cook
* Croydon
* Doomadgee
* Douglas
* Etheridge
* Hope Vale
* Kowanyama
* Lockhart River
* Mapoon
* Mareeba
* Mornington
* Napranum
* Northern Peninsula Area
* Pormpuraaw
* Tablelands
* Torres Strait Islands (not autonomous)
* Torres Strait Islands (autonomous)
* Weipa
* Wujal Wujal
* Yarrabah

National Parks|

* Alwal
* Annan River
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* Barnard Island Group
* Barron Gorge
* Blackbraes
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* Hull River
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* Kutini-Payamu
* Lama Lama
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* Ma’alpiku Island
* Macalister Range
* Malaan
* Maria Creek
* Marpa
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* Millstream Falls
* Mitchell-Alice Rivers
* Mitirinchi Island
* Moresby Range
* Mount Cook
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* Precipice
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* Russell River
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* Sir Charles Hardy Group
* Staaten River
* Starcke
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* Topaz Road
* Tully Gorge
* Turtle Group
* Two Islands
* Undara Volcanic
* Wooroonooran
* Wuthara Island
* Yamarrinh Wachangan Islands
* Yungaburra

Places of Interest|

* Atherton Tableland
* Barron Falls
* Cape Tribulation
* Daintree Rainforest
* Hinchinbrook Island
* Mount Bartle Frere
* Princess Charlotte Bay
* Torres Strait Islands

* v
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Local government areas of Queensland

South East|

* Brisbane
* Gold Coast
* Ipswich
* Lockyer Valley
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* Noosa
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Wide Bay–Burnett|

* Bundaberg
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Darling Downs|

* Goondiwindi
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Central|

* Banana
* Central Highlands
* Gladstone
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* Mackay
* Rockhampton
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North|

* Burdekin
* Charters Towers
* Hinchinbrook
* Palm Island
* Townsville

Far North|

* Aurukun
* Cairns
* Cassowary Coast
* Cook
* Douglas
* Hope Vale
* Kowanyama
* Lockhart River
* Mapoon
* Mareeba
* Napranum
* Northern Peninsula Area
* Pormpuraaw
* Tablelands
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* Torres Strait Island
* Weipa
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North West|

* Burke
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Central West|

* Barcaldine
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South West|

* Balonne
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Authority control databases

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