Beagle Bay Community, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beagle Bay CommunityWestern Australia |
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 Beagle Bay Community
Location in Western Australia
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| Postcode(s) | 6725 |
| Time zone | AWST (UTC+8) |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Broome |
| State electorate(s) | Kimberley |
| Federal Division(s) | Durack |
Beagle Bay is an Aboriginal community located in Western Australia. It's found on the western side of the Dampier Peninsula, which is north of Broome. This area is part of the Kimberley region. The name Beagle Bay was given in 1838 by John Clements Wickham. He was the captain of a ship called HMS Beagle.
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Exploring Beagle Bay and Its Surroundings
Beagle Bay is right next to the Indian Ocean. It's like a starting point for visiting other communities further north. These include places like Djarindjin, Lombadina, Bobieding, and Ardyaloon.
Getting There
The main road from Broome to Beagle Bay is unpaved. This means it can be hard to use during the wet season when it rains a lot. However, Beagle Bay is connected to other towns on the peninsula by a sealed road to the north.
A Look Back: History of Beagle Bay
The Beagle Bay community was started by a group of monks called Trappist monks around 1890. This community has a history of caring for children from the stolen generation.
Early Beginnings
In 1884, the first priest arrived in the Kimberley region. He came to help Catholic people and to teach the Aboriginal people about Christianity. Bishop Matthew Gibney helped set up the Beagle Bay mission. It was built on the land of the Nyul Nyul people and became a home for Aboriginal people in 1890.
School and Church
The first Catholic school was opened by the Trappist Fathers at Beagle Bay in 1892. Later, in 1895, Trappist monks from France expanded their work from Beagle Bay to Broome. In 1901, a different group of priests, the Pallottine fathers from Germany, took over the mission.
A special church was opened in 1918. It's famous for its unique altar made from shiny pearl shells. This beautiful altar is now a popular spot for tourists to visit. Over time, the Beagle Bay Mission became a home for Indigenous people from all over the Kimberley and even further away. A well-known lawman and artist named Butcher Joe Nangan lived and worked at the mission from about 1920 to the 1960s.
Famous Visitors
In her book Last Truck Out, Betty Lockyer described the Beagle Bay mission in the 1940s as a wonderful place. She wrote that everyone had jobs to do, like working in the bakery or gardens. The women looked after the babies and young children. She said, "There was no such thing as idle hands."
An author and researcher named Daisy Bates also began her important work at Beagle Bay Mission in the early 1900s.
Learning and Life in Beagle Bay
Beagle Bay Community has its own school called Sacred Heart School. It teaches students from kindergarten up to Year 10. This school has been around for a long time, started by the Trappist monks in 1892.
Community Facilities
Beagle Bay has several important facilities that help the community run smoothly.
Power and Water
Electricity for the community is made and supplied locally by Horizon Power. It's available 24 hours a day, but sometimes there can be power surges or interruptions. Water comes from two underground bores. It's then pumped into a large tank and later to a higher tank for distribution.
Community Spaces
The community has a cemetery. It's important to know that, following Aboriginal custom, it's considered disrespectful to say the names of people who have passed away.
There's also a sewer system in place. This system helps manage wastewater with pump stations and treatment ponds on the edge of the community.
Fun and Games
For recreation, Beagle Bay has basketball courts and an Australian rules football oval. The community even has its own football team called the "Beagle Bay (Peninsular) Bombers". They play in the West Kimberley Football Association.
Visitors can enjoy bush walking, some fishing, and camping. If you want to visit the community, you need to apply for a permit first.
Shopping and Services
There is one store in town, run by Outback Stores for the community. Things can be quite expensive there compared to bigger towns. You can also find a local bakery that sells food to take away. If you need car repairs, there's a mechanical workshop available.
How Beagle Bay is Run
The community is managed by an organization called Beagle Bay Futures Indigenous Corporation. This group helps make decisions and run things for the community.
