In the 2016 census, Bamaga had a population of 1,164 people, of whom 957 (82.4%) identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.[1]
History
The original site for the township of Bamaga was at a site known as "Muttee Heads" some 20 kilometres (12mi) south of the present Bamaga township. The present site was established after World War II by people from Saibai Island in Torres Strait, after Saibai Island was devastated by abnormally high tides. It is named after Saibai elder Bamaga Ginau, who envisaged the site but died before it was established.[4]
In 1947, the Bamaga township was moved to its present site as a result of a need by the founding people for a larger supply of fresh water. With local industries and the Northern Peninsula Airport (on Urradhi traditional land) Bamaga became the administrative centre for the Northern Peninsula Area, which was made up of the three Aboriginal communities of Injinoo, Umagico and New Mapoon, and the Islander communities of Seisia and Bamaga. All five are Deed of Grant in Trust – communities with their own community councils.[citation needed]
Bamaga State School opened on 28 January 1964. On 23 March 2005, it was renamed Northern Peninsula Area State College.[6]
Some 20 years later, another community, "New Mapoon", was established. It was set up for the forced relocation of people of "Old Mapoon" community, located some two hours north by road from the township of Weipa for bauxite mining.[7]
Bamaga State High School opened on 30 January 1973, but closed on 9 December 1994.[6][8]
In the 2016 census, Bamaga had a population of 1,164 people, of whom 957 (82.4%) identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.[1]
Geography
All communities, except Bamaga and New Mapoon, are located on the coastline, and the current residents hold a close affiliation with the sea.[citation needed] The current populations are approximately 75% Islander and 20% Aboriginal.[citation needed]
Bamaga and the surrounding communities are located north of the Jardine River which supplies the town water.[citation needed]
Bamaga has an Islander population of approximately 700 people with a further 300 temporary non-islander residents. The Community has reticulated town water, which is pumped from the Jardine River. A new water treatment plant has been constructed recently and Bamaga is fully sewered.[citation needed]
Bamaga experiences a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw, Trewartha: Awaa), with hot conditions year-round. There is a wet season from mid-November to mid-May, and a dry season from mid-May to mid-November.
Climate data for Cape York Post Office, Queensland, Australia (1887-1955 normals and extremes); 40 m AMSL
The community languages of Bamaga are Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Brokan (Torres Strait Creole), and English, particularly for education and government business.[11]
Industry
All of Bamaga's internal and main roads are sealed. The major industry is tourism mainly during the drier months of the year. This runs from May – October (The Developmental Road is impassable during the wet season and the ferry across the Jardine River does not operate).[citation needed]
The community owns Resort Bamaga, an accommodation house for corporate visitors.[citation needed]
There is some cattle production, small business retailing and a concrete batching plant. Bamaga Island Council is the biggest employer with 200 staff. Modern supermarkets can be found at Seisia and Umagico.[citation needed]
There is a community pharmacy, general merchandise/clothing store, a video store, Post Office, Service Station/workshop, snack bar, pub and bakery in Bamaga as well as an Anglican church store and thrift shop.[citation needed]
Bamaga and neighbouring communities have a 240 volt power supply generated from the Ergon Energy stand-alone diesel power station at Bamaga. There are two local linesman stationed at Bamaga. Most lines are antiquated and subject to breakdowns causing blackouts on occasions.[citation needed]
Residents purchase electricity through pre-paid Powercards, which are similar to phonecards and are available in $20 or $50 amounts. Powercards are inserted into the switchboards at the residence.[citation needed]
Water supply
The quality of the town drinking water has improved of late with the introduction of new community reservoirs and the newly completed water treatment plant by Sunwater. The town water is sourced from the Jardine River supply.[citation needed]
Sewerage
Sewerage for all communities except Seisia is by underground sewer. Seisia is proposing to remove all septics in favour of sewer in the coming budgets. Garbage collection is twice weekly (Mon-Thur) and should this not suffice, the local waste depot is only 2 kilometres (1.2mi) away from the police establishment.[citation needed]
Amenities
Fishing and camping are very popular. A boat and 4WD vehicle would be handy. There is the Bamaga Tavern open Monday-Saturday and Seisia Fishing Club which serves food and drinks on Fridays with live music. There are restaurants at the Seisia Village Resort, Seisia; Resort Bamaga; Loyalty Beach Fishing Lodge, and also Punsand Bay Lodge, Punsand Bay. There are also take-away shops at Seisia, New Mapoon (Loyalty Beach camp ground and local store) and Bamaga communities.[citation needed]
The sporting facilities at Bamaga have undergone a recent facelift and there are now established Olympic Basketball courts, Volleyball courts & Tennis courts. Football has again emerged as a strong sport in the region and councils have constructed night lighting of the fields for cooler night games. There are five organised football teams in the communities.[citation needed]
To assist sporting ventures in the region, a newly constructed Gymnasium at the Basketball courts will assist with health and training.[citation needed]
There are also established darts, pool and fishing.[citation needed]
The adventure of a 4WD trip to Bamaga through very rugged terrain is the main catalyst for tourist activity by road. There are many sights, towns and other points of interest during the journey. Tourist activities whilst at Bamaga include Sight-seeing tours to Thursday Island, Guided fishing and pig hunting tours; bird watching in the nearby Lockerbie Scrub rainforest; visiting World War II aircraft wrecks in the Bamaga area and also at Horn Island (near Thursday Island) and photo shoots at the "Tip of Australia". The area is shrouded in history with culture and war memorabilia.[citation needed]
Muttee Heads is a fishing/camping spot with access to Jardine River mouth and is 30 kilometres (19mi) west on Cairns road.[20]
Somerset is 35 kilometres (22mi) north of Bamaga and the historic ruins of the Somerset Homestead. It is a camping area and day trip for barbecue.[citation needed]
Medical
The Bamaga Hospital as an establishment has five medical doctors and 14 nurses who can capably handle most cases presented.[21] Emergency cases are assessed and patients are either helivaced to Thursday Island Hospital by Australian Helicopters under contract to the Department of Emergency Services or by Royal Flying Doctor Service to Cairns.[citation needed]
Bamaga pharmacy is located next to the main ibis store with a fully qualified pharmacist available at all times to provide medications, advice and essential pharmacy services.[citation needed]
The Bamaga and surrounding communities are also serviced by the Queensland Ambulance Service. The QAS at Bamaga has two permanent officers which are of paramedic standard and have one of the most modern ambulances in use in Queensland today.[citation needed]
Veterinary services are limited but accessible. At present, a visiting veterinary specialist attends the premises of the Torres Shire Council, Thursday Island on a regular basis. Notification is usually in the local newspaper the Torres News. To attend for appointment will necessitate a ferry ride with your pet to Thursday Island. Usually this trip can be completed in the one day unless overnight care for the pet is required. This specialist can also be contacted at her surgery in times of emergency.[citation needed]
The Bamaga township has one major supermarket/variety store which is operated by the Islander Board of Industry and Service. The IBIS services most islands through the Torres Strait. The store at Bamaga is air-conditioned and has a comparable food line with major retailers in Cairns. The store does have frozen meat from Cairns butchers. The Bamaga and surrounding communities are serviced by Sea Swift twice weekly. Freight charges are minimal and delivery is to the door.[citation needed]
Air-conditioned supermarkets are also at Seisia and Umagico Communities.[citation needed]
The Seisia Meatworks has recently commenced operation which provides a range of meat products. Meat is sourced locally as well as grain fed regions such as Atherton Tablelands and Gympie.[citation needed]
Fresh produce is delivered by shipping companies and available twice weekly (Monday and Thursday).[citation needed]
A local clothing store has limited lines of clothing and some lines of haberdashery. There is no local hairdresser however there are some on Thursday Island.[citation needed]
There are three service stations located at Bamaga, Seisia and Injinoo. Diesel and unleaded petrol are available. Mechanical services are also available at various locations in the Community.[citation needed]
Cape York Peninsula is a peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest wilderness in northern Australia. The land is mostly flat and about half of the area is used for grazing cattle. The relatively undisturbed eucalyptus-wooded savannahs, tropical rainforests and other types of habitat are now recognised and preserved for their global environmental significance. Although much of the peninsula remains pristine, with a diverse repertoire of endemic flora and fauna, some of its wildlife may be threatened by industry and overgrazing as well as introduced species and weeds.
The Torres Strait Islands are an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. They span an area of 48,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi), but their total land area is 566 km2 (219 sq mi).
Torres Strait Islanders are the Indigenous Melanesian people of the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of the state of Queensland, Australia. Ethnically distinct from the Aboriginal peoples of the rest of Australia, they are often grouped with them as Indigenous Australians. Today there are many more Torres Strait Islander people living in mainland Australia than on the Islands.
Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately 39 kilometres north of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia.
Crab Island, called Moent Island in the native language, is a now uninhabited island west of Muttee Heads and the coastal community of Seisia which is adjacent to Bamaga at the tip of Cape York Peninsula within the Endeavour Strait in the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland, Australia. It is around 280 hectares. The distance to the closest mainland is 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi). The original inhabitants were the Apukwi branch of the Ankamuti.
Saibai Island, commonly called Saibai, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, located in the Torres Strait of Queensland, Australia. The island is situated north of the Australian mainland and south of the island of New Guinea. The island is a locality within the Torres Strait Island Region local government area. The town of Saibai is located on the north-west coast of the island. According to the 2016 census, Saibai Island had a population of 465 people.
Seisia is a coastal town and a locality in the Northern Peninsula Area Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Seisia had a population of 293 people.
Somerset is a coastal locality split between the Shire of Torres and the Northern Peninsula Area Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Somerset had a population of 0 people.
Injinoo is a coastal town in the Northern Peninsula Area Region and a locality split between Northern Peninsula Area Region and the Shire of Torres in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is on the north-western coast of Cape York Peninsula. In the 2016 census, Injinoo had a population of 561 people.
Mapoon is a coastal town in the Aboriginal Shire of Mapoon and a locality split between the Aboriginal Shire of Mapoon and the Shire of Cook in Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Mapoon had a population of 317 people.
The Injinoo were an Indigenous Australian people of the Cape York Peninsula, and their name now applies to a tribal aggregation of remnants of various tribes of the Cape York Peninsula.
New Mapoon is a town in the Northern Peninsula Area Region and coastal locality split between the Northern Peninsula Region and Shire of Torres, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, New Mapoon had a population of 383 people.
Yam Island, called Yama or Iama in the Kulkalgau Ya language or Turtle-backed Island in English, is an island of the Bourke Isles group of the Torres Strait Islands, located in the Tancred Passage of the Torres Strait in Queensland, Australia. The island is situated approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Thursday Island and measures about 2 square kilometres (0.77 sq mi). The island is an official locality known as Iama Island within the local government area of Torres Strait Island Region. The town, also called Yam Island, is located on the north-west coast of the island. In the 2021 census, Iama Island had a population of 275 people.
Urradhi is a Paman language of the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia, and is apparently extinct. It was spoken by the Urradhi people. Urradhi proper is the south-western dialect of the language. The name is composed of urra "this" and the proprietive dhi "having". The south-eastern dialect of the same language, Wudhadhi, is made of the same elements, wudha being "this". These are part of a group of closely related and highly mutually intelligible dialects, these being Angkamuthi to the north of Urradhi, Atampaya inland from these, Utudhanamu inland north from Atampaya, Yantaykenu further north, being the language of the Bamaga area, Yadhaykenu on the east coast north of Wudhadhi, and Yaraytyana further north again. This group has no common language name, though Urradhi is commonly used as a cover name. It is unknown when it became extinct.
Aaron Fa'aoso is an Australian actor, screenwriter and producer, known for his roles in East West 101, The Straits and Black Comedy. He established Lonestar Productions in 2013, which brings stories of the people of the Torres Strait Islands and north Queensland to the screen.
The Northern Peninsula Area Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia, covering areas on the northwestern coast of Cape York Peninsula. It was created in March 2008 out of three Aboriginal Shires and two autonomous Island Councils during a period of statewide local government reform. In June 2018, the area had a population of 3,069.
The Ducie River is a river located on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia.
Umagico is a town and coastal locality in the Northern Peninsula Area Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Umagico had a population of 394 people.
Dauan Island is an island in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia; it is also known as Cornwallis Island. Dauan Island is also a town and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia.
Masig Island is an island and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Masig Island had a population of 283 people.
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