Bamaga

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title: "Bamaga" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["towns-in-queensland", "populated-places-in-far-north-queensland", "torres-strait-islands-communities", "populated-places-established-in-1947", "aboriginal-communities-in-queensland", "1947-establishments-in-australia", "northern-peninsula-area-region", "localities-in-queensland"] topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamaga" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox Australian place"]

Field	Value
type	town
name	Bamaga
state	qld
image	Bamaga-cape-york-queensland-australia.jpg
caption	Main street of Bamaga
coordinates
pop	1186
pop_year
pop_footnotes
postcode	4876
area	66.2
timezone	AEST
utc	+10:00
dist1	649
dir1	NNE
location1	Weipa
dist2	828
dir2	NNW
location2	Cooktown
dist3	997
dir3	NNW
location3	Cairns
dist4	2669
dir4	NNW
location4	Brisbane
lga	Northern Peninsula Area Region
stategov	Cook
fedgov	Leichhardt
near-n	New Mapoon
near-ne	Somerset
near-e	Somerset
near-se	Somerset
near-s	Umagico
near-sw	Umagico
near-w	New Mapoon
near-nw	New Mapoon
::

| type = town | name = Bamaga | state = qld | image = Bamaga-cape-york-queensland-australia.jpg | caption = Main street of Bamaga | coordinates = | pop = 1186 | pop_year = | pop_footnotes = | established = | postcode = 4876 | area = 66.2 | timezone = AEST | utc = +10:00 | dist1 = 649 | dir1 = NNE | location1 = Weipa | dist2 = 828 | dir2 = NNW | location2 = Cooktown | dist3 = 997 | dir3 = NNW | location3 = Cairns | dist4 = 2669 | dir4 = NNW | location4 = Brisbane | elevation = | maxtemp = | mintemp = | rainfall = | lga = Northern Peninsula Area Region | stategov = Cook | fedgov = Leichhardt | near-n = New Mapoon | near-ne = Somerset | near-e = Somerset | near-se = Somerset | near-s = Umagico | near-sw = Umagico | near-w = New Mapoon | near-nw = New Mapoon Bamaga ( , ) is an Indigenous town and locality about 40 km from the northern tip of Cape York in the north of Queensland, Australia. It is within the Northern Peninsula Area Region. It is one of the northernmost settlements in continental Australia and is the administrative centre for the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council.

In the , the locality of Bamaga had a population of 1,186 people.

History

The original site for the township of Bamaga was at a site known as "Muttee Heads" some 20 km 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.

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.

Bamaga Post Office opened by September 1951.

Bamaga State School opened on 28 January 1964. On 23 March 2005, it was renamed Northern Peninsula Area State College.

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.

Bamaga State High School opened on 30 January 1973, but closed on 9 December 1994.

Demographics

In the , the town of Bamaga had a population of 784 people, of whom 688 (87.8%) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

In the , the locality of Bamaga had a population of 1,164 people, of whom 957 (82.4%) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

In the , the locality of Bamaga had a population of 1,186 people, of whom 929 (78.3%) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

Geography

Bamaga and the surrounding communities are located north of the Jardine River which supplies the town water.

Climate

| Cape York Post Office, Queensland, Australia | 24.0 | 29.8 | 370.6 | 23.9 | 29.6 | 352.6 | 23.8 | 29.6 | 370.9 | 23.7 | 29.5 | 255.5 | 23.0 | 28.8 | 69.1 | 22.3 | 28.1 | 26.1 | 21.5 | 27.6 | 19.7 | 21.6 | 27.8 | 9.5 | 22.2 | 28.5 | 6.4 | 22.9 | 29.9 | 14.9 | 23.8 | 30.9 | 56.7 | 24.2 | 30.8 | 194.6 | units = metric | float = right | clear = both}} 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. |location = Cape York Post Office, Queensland, Australia (1887-1955 normals and extremes); 40 m AMSL |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |collapsed = Yes |Jan high C = 29.8 |Feb high C = 29.6 |Mar high C = 29.6 |Apr high C = 29.5 |May high C = 28.8 |Jun high C = 28.1 |Jul high C = 27.6 |Aug high C = 27.8 |Sep high C = 28.5 |Oct high C = 29.9 |Nov high C = 30.9 |Dec high C = 30.8 |Jan mean C = 26.9 |Feb mean C = 26.8 |Mar mean C = 26.7 |Apr mean C = 26.6 |May mean C = 25.9 |Jun mean C = 25.2 |Jul mean C = 24.6 |Aug mean C = 24.7 |Sep mean C = 25.4 |Oct mean C = 26.4 |Nov mean C = 27.4 |Dec mean C = 27.5 |Jan low C = 24.0 |Feb low C = 23.9 |Mar low C = 23.8 |Apr low C = 23.7 |May low C = 23.0 |Jun low C = 22.3 |Jul low C = 21.5 |Aug low C = 21.6 |Sep low C = 22.2 |Oct low C = 22.9 |Nov low C = 23.8 |Dec low C = 24.2 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 370.6 |Feb precipitation mm = 352.1 |Mar precipitation mm = 370.9 |Apr precipitation mm = 255.5 |May precipitation mm = 69.1 |Jun precipitation mm = 26.1 |Jul precipitation mm = 19.7 |Aug precipitation mm = 9.5 |Sep precipitation mm = 6.4 |Oct precipitation mm = 14.9 |Nov precipitation mm = 56.7 |Dec precipitation mm = 194.6 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 16.9 |Feb precipitation days = 15.7 |Mar precipitation days = 16.3 |Apr precipitation days = 11.7 |May precipitation days = 7.0 |Jun precipitation days = 5.7 |Jul precipitation days = 4.8 |Aug precipitation days = 3.1 |Sep precipitation days = 1.6 |Oct precipitation days = 2.1 |Nov precipitation days = 4.2 |Dec precipitation days = 9.0 |source 1 = Australian Bureau of Meteorology (1887-1955 normals and extremes)

Language

The community languages of Bamaga are Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Brokan (Torres Strait Creole), and English, particularly for education and government business.

Education

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/New_administration_building,_Northern_Peninsula_Area_State_College,_Bamaga_junior_campus,_2024.jpg" caption="New administration building, Northern Peninsula Area State College, Bamaga junior campus, 2024"] ::

Northern Peninsula Area State College is a government primary and secondary (Kindergarten-12) school for boys and girls. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 634 students with 69 teachers (68 full-time equivalent) and 34 non-teaching staff (24 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.

The Cape York Campus, a technical and further education (TAFE) college, has been established at Bamaga (). The campus provides a wide range of tutorial courses including seamanship and other courses.

Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council operates an Indigenous Knowledge Centre at HACC Centre Building in Adidi Street, Bamaga.

Media

Radio stations that broadcast to the town are ABC Far North, Star 102.7, Hit103.5 and Red Dust Country FM, is a Aboriginal-owned community radio station which broadcast from the town.

Bamaga is served by five television stations, three commercial television stations (WIN Television, Seven Queensland and Network 10) which are regional affiliates of the three Australian commercial television networks (10, Seven and Nine), and public broadcasters the ABC and SBS services.

Local newspaper is served by the Cape York Weekly which covers the town.

Amenities

St Stephen's Catholic Church is in Lui Street. It is within the Thursday Island Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.

Tourism

Muttee Heads is a fishing/camping spot with access to Jardine River mouth and is 30 km west on Cairns road.

Medical

As at 2020, Bamaga Hospital as an establishment has five medical doctors and 14 nurses.

References

References

1. ''[[Macquarie Dictionary. Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition]]'' (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. {{ISBN. 1-876429-14-3
2. {{cite QPN. 1447. Bamaga. town in Northern Peninsula Area Region
3. {{cite QPN. 46103. Bamaga. locality in Northern Peninsula Area Region
4. Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions.
5. {{Cite QldSchool
6. (2 March 2017). "New Mapoon".
7. (20 August 2013). "Queensland state school - centre closures".
8. {{Census 2006 AUS
9. {{Census 2016 AUS
10. {{Census 2021 AUS
11. "Cape York Post Office, QLD Climate (1887-1955 normals and extremes)". [[Australian Bureau of Meteorology]].
12. "Bamaga".
13. (9 July 2018). "State and non-state school details". [[Queensland Government]].
14. "Northern Peninsula Area State College".
15. "ACARA School Profile 2018". [[Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority]].
16. The college has its Bamaga senior campus at Sagaukaz Street ({{coord. -10.8952. 142.3858. type:edu_region:AU-QLD. -10.8868. 142.3901. type:edu_region:AU-QLD
17. (18 November 2020). "Landmark Areas - Queensland". [[Queensland Government]].
18. "Northern Peninsula Area".
19. "Bamaga Indigenous Knowledge Centre". [[State Library of Queensland]].
20. "Communication and media".
21. "Cape York Weekly".
22. "Thursday Island Parish".
23. "Mutee Head Campground Review".
24. "Bamaga Hospital". Queensland Health.

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