Mapoon, Queensland

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title: "Mapoon, Queensland" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["australian-aboriginal-missions", "populated-places-in-far-north-queensland", "aboriginal-communities-in-queensland", "1963-in-australia", "shire-of-cook", "aboriginal-shire-of-mapoon", "coastline-of-queensland", "localities-in-queensland"] topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapoon,_Queensland" 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	Mapoon
state	qld
image	Mapoon-cape-york-queensland-australia.JPG
caption	Mapoon beach
coordinates
pop	469
pop_year
pop_footnotes
postcode	4874
area	6578.7
timezone	AEST
utc	+10:00
dist1	88.2
dir1	N
location1	Weipa
dist2	733
dir2	NW
location2	Cooktown
dist3	902
dir3	NW
location3	Cairns
dist4	2556
dir4	NW
location4	Brisbane
lga	Aboriginal Shire of Mapoon
lga2	Shire of Cook
stategov	Cook
fedgov	Leichhardt
near-n	Injinoo
near-ne	Jardine River
near-e	Shelburne
near-se	Wenlock
near-s	Mission River
near-sw	Mission River
near-w	Gulf of Carpentaria
near-nw	Gulf of Carpentaria
::

History

Pre-European settlement

Teppathiggi (also known Tepithiki and Teyepathiggi) is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Western Cape York Peninsula, Middle Dulcie River, Lower Batavia River, Ducie River, and Mapoon. The language region includes areas within the local government boundaries of Cook Shire Council.

Uradhi (also known as Anggamudi, Ankamuti, Atampaya, Bawtjathi, and Lotiga) is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Western Cape York Peninsula. The traditional language region includes north of Mapoon and Duyfken Point and east of the coast strip to the north of Port Musgrave (Angkamuthi country) incorporating the mouth of the Ducie River, the lower reaches of the Dulhunty River and the upper reaches of the Skardon River in the north. Following the displacement of Indigenous people by British settlement, it was also spoken in the Northern Peninsula Area Region including the communities of New Mapoon, Injinoo and Cowal Creek.

1891: Mission

In 1891 the Moravian Church established a mission at Mapoon with the aim of providing education and health services to the Aboriginal people. It was their first mission in Cape York Peninsula and they established it at the request of the Presbyterian Church.

1950–2000

In the 1950s when bauxite was discovered on the Western Cape area, the Queensland Government passed legislation to help the interested companies Comalco and Alcan with the 'Comalco Act' (Commonwealth Aluminium Corporation Pty Ltd Agreement Act 1957 (Qld)). As a consequence some 8000 sqkm were excised from the mission reserve. The government, together with Comalco determined to evict the residents off the mission, and they were moved forcibly by the Queensland police from Old Mapoon to New Mapoon on 15 November 1963. The closing of the Mission was explained publicly as a measure to 'rationalise services' for the Cape indigenous people by centralising them in the Bamaga area. In November 1963, people were forced from their homes by armed police. They were then transported 200 km by ship. The police raid was ordered and overseen by Patrick Killoran, the then-director of Aboriginal Affairs in Queensland. Aboriginal residents' houses were burnt to the ground in 1963 by Queensland Police.

Many residents were unhappy at Bamaga, at one of the nearby communities now known as New Mapoon. Over the following years, many moved back to (Old) Mapoon and eventually the government provided new housing. Mapoon became known as one of the places involved in the fight for Indigenous land rights in the 1970s, and seven families had moved back by 1975. The Black Resource Centre in Melbourne,

Mapoon State School opened on 30 January 1995. On 1 January 2002, it became the Mapoon campus of Western Cape College.

21st century

In 2000, the Mapoon Aboriginal community was formally recognised under Deed of Grant in Trust arrangements. The Mapoon Aboriginal Council administers the community affairs with government support.

Demographics

In the , the locality of Mapoon had a population of 239.

In the , the town of Mapoon recorded a population of 263 and 90% of the town's population was of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.

In the , the locality of Mapoon had a population of 317 people.

In the , the locality of Mapoon had a population of 469 people and 75.3% was of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background.

Geography

Mapoon is on the western side of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia.

The town of Mapoon is on a peninsula that extends into the Gulf of Carpentaria with Cullen Point (also known as Tullanaringa Point) at its tip (), creating a side bay of the Gulf called Port Musgrave (), which is probably named after Sir Anthony Musgrave, the Queensland Governor from 1883 to 1888. Ducie River () and Wenlock River () flow though the locality into Port Musgrave.

Red Beach is a sandy strip facing Port Musgrave adjacent to the south side of the town (). The government-built housing is spread out in bushland along Red Beach Road towards Cullen Point.

Flying Fox Island is a 3.3 ha marine island () in the west of Port Musgrave close to the coastline north of the town.

During the wet season from December to April the town is largely inaccessible except by air and sea.

There is an airstrip 4 km south of the town ().

The Alcan Weipa mining lease covers 1376.29 km2 of the locality of Mapoon. It is a bauxite mine. It includes the Myerfield Strip, an aircraft landing strip (). The name Myerfield was proposed by Alcan Pty Ltd, which had built the airstrip.

Climate

| Old Mapoon, Queensland, Australia | 22.5 | 32.7 | 421.1 | 22.5 | 33.0 | 411.2 | 22.2 | 33.0 | 308.4 | 21.9 | 32.8 | 94.8 | 20.5 | 31.4 | 18.7 | 18.8 | 30.4 | 4.2 | 18.1 | 30.3 | 2.7 | 18.1 | 30.6 | 1.1 | 19.2 | 32.4 | 4.0 | 20.7 | 34.0 | 11.1 | 21.7 | 35.0 | 63.8 | 22.5 | 34.7 | 228.9 | units = metric | float = right | clear = both}} Mapoon experiences a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw, Trewartha: Awha), with hot conditions year-round. There is a shorter wet season from mid-November to April, and a longer dry season from May to mid-November. |location = Old Mapoon, Queensland, Australia (1893-1998 normals and extremes); 6 m AMSL |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |collapsed = Yes |Jan high C = 32.5 |Feb high C = 33.0 |Mar high C = 33.0 |Apr high C = 32.8 |May high C = 31.4 |Jun high C = 30.4 |Jul high C = 30.3 |Aug high C = 30.6 |Sep high C = 32.4 |Oct high C = 34.0 |Nov high C = 35.0 |Dec high C = 34.7 |Jan mean C = 27.5 |Feb mean C = 27.8 |Mar mean C = 27.6 |Apr mean C = 27.4 |May mean C = 26.0 |Jun mean C = 24.6 |Jul mean C = 24.2 |Aug mean C = 24.4 |Sep mean C = 25.8 |Oct mean C = 27.4 |Nov mean C = 28.4 |Dec mean C = 28.6 |Jan low C = 22.5 |Feb low C = 22.5 |Mar low C = 22.2 |Apr low C = 21.9 |May low C = 20.5 |Jun low C = 18.8 |Jul low C = 18.1 |Aug low C = 18.1 |Sep low C = 19.2 |Oct low C = 20.7 |Nov low C = 21.7 |Dec low C = 22.5 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 421.1 |Feb precipitation mm = 411.2 |Mar precipitation mm = 308.4 |Apr precipitation mm = 94.8 |May precipitation mm = 18.7 |Jun precipitation mm = 4.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 2.7 |Aug precipitation mm = 1.1 |Sep precipitation mm = 4.0 |Oct precipitation mm = 11.1 |Nov precipitation mm = 63.8 |Dec precipitation mm = 228.9 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 15.2 |Feb precipitation days = 14.5 |Mar precipitation days = 12.8 |Apr precipitation days = 5.6 |May precipitation days = 1.5 |Jun precipitation days = 0.6 |Jul precipitation days = 0.5 |Aug precipitation days = 0.3 |Sep precipitation days = 0.4 |Oct precipitation days = 1.1 |Nov precipitation days = 4.3 |Dec precipitation days = 9.4 |source 1 = Australian Bureau of Meteorology (1893-1998 normals and extremes)

Education

Western Cape College is a primary (Early Childhood-6) school headquartered at Rocky Point, Weipa. Its campus in Mapoon is at 44 Clermont Street ().

Facilities

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Boat_ramp,_Port_of_Skardon_River,_2015.jpg" caption="Boat ramp, Port of Skardon River, 2015"] ::

Presently the town has a primary school, nursing station, council office and small shop providing fuel and food. Local people are employed on the Council which as well as providing services for the local community in 2006 won the contract to provide road maintenance for the all-weather 80 km dirt road from the town of Weipa.

In cooperation between the council and the State Library of Queensland, the new Mapoon Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKC) was opened on Thursday, 18 August 2022, within the new Mapoon Cultural Centre. The IKC includes computers and a library connection.

The Port of Skardon River was declared in February 2002. It has a barge ramp and is used for the export of bauxite. It is managed the Queensland Government-owned corporation Ports North. The port is approximately 10 km upstream from the mouth of the Skardon River into the Gulf of Carpentaria ().

Attractions

Camping facilities near the town are found at Cullen Point and Janie Creek.

Alcohol management plan

An alcohol management plan (AMP) exists in the community, with restrictions on the amount and type of liquor that may be carried on persons or vehicles in the area.

References

Sources

{{Cite journal| title =The Wik: A History of Their 400 Year Struggle |last= Collings |first=Neva |year = 1997 |journal= Indigenous Law Bulletin |volume = 4 |issue =1 |publisher=Australasian Legal Information Institute |url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ILB/1997/29.html

References

{{Cite QPN. 20875. Mapoon. town
{{Cite QPN. 45896. Mapoon. locality in the Aboriginal Shire of Mapoon
{{Cite QPN. 46135. Mapoon. locality in the Shire of Cook
"Teppathiggi".
"Uradhi".
"Remembering the mother mission: exploring trauma, cultural heritage values and identity at Mapoon, a former mission village in Western Cape York, Queensland: Ph.D. thesis". The University of Queensland, School of Social Science.
Bill Mason. (17 November 1999). "Mapoon elder slams Lingard over 'straw hut' remarks". Green Left Weekly.
Tony Koch. (2 November 2010). "Notorious bureaucrat who oppressed Aborigines dies unlamented". News Limited.
(10 June 2012). "Emperor for Life: Killoran's Queensland". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
(10 June 1975). "Blacks fight for land". [[Tribune (Australian newspaper).
Fogarty, Lionel. (31 January 2019). "‘The Rally Is Calling’: Dashiell Moore Interviews Lionel Fogarty".
{{Cite QldSchool
"Queensland schools past and present". [[Queensland Family History Society]].
"Our History". Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council.
{{Census 2006 AUS
{{Census 2011 AUS
{{Census 2016 AUS
{{Census 2021 AUS
{{Queensland Globe
{{cite QPN. 8954. Cullen Point. mountain in Mapoon Aboriginal Shire
{{cite QPN. 23654. Port Musgrave. port in Shire of Cook
{{Cite QPN. 10656. Ducie River. watercourse in the Cook Shire
{{Cite QPN. 36991. Wenlock River. watercourse in the Cook Shire
(12 November 2020). "Mountain ranges beaches and sea passages - Queensland". [[Queensland Government]].
(12 November 2020). "Marine islands - Queensland". [[Queensland Government]].
{{cite QPN. 12833. Flying Fox Island. island
"Mapoon - Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships".
(22 October 2020). "Heliports and landing grounds - Queensland". [[Queensland Government]].
{{cite QPN. 23717. Myerfield Strip. landing area in Shire of Cook
"Old Mapoon, QLD Climate (1893-1998 normals and extremes)". [[Australian Bureau of Meteorology]].
(9 July 2018). "State and non-state school details". [[Queensland Government]].
"Western Cape College - Mapoon".
"Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". [[Queensland Government]].
(8 November 2022). "Mapoon: from Ideas Box to IKC".
"Port of Skardon River".
"Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Railways; Railway stations; Ports". [[Queensland Government]].
{{Cite QPN. 31053. Skardon River. watercourse in the Shire of Cook
"Port of Skardon River".
"Mapoon". The State of Queensland.
(4 November 2012). "Mapoon alcohol limits". Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs.
"Mapoon {{!}} Alcohol restrictions in Queensland communities". Queensland Government.

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