Pormpuraaw, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids PormpuraawQueensland |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pormpuraaw, 2017
|
|||||||||||||||
 Pormpuraaw
Location in Queensland
|
|||||||||||||||
| Population | 611 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.13940/km2 (0.3610/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1938 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4871 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 4,383.1 km2 (1,692.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Aboriginal Shire of Pormpuraaw | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Cook | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Leichhardt | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
Pormpuraaw (say porm-pure-ow) is a town on the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is an Aboriginal community. Pormpuraaw is located on the west side of the Cape York Peninsula. It sits about halfway between Karumba and Weipa, near the Edward River. You can drive about 650 kilometers (400 miles) from Cairns to get there. The town has a small police station with four officers.
Pormpuraaw was once called the Edward River Aboriginal Mission. It was started in 1938 by the Anglican Church. People from the Thaayorre, Wik, Pakanh, and Yir Yoront groups lived there. In 1967, the Queensland government took over running the mission from the church.
Today, Pormpuraaw is managed by a community council. It has its own Deed of Grant in Trust status, which means the land is held in trust for the Aboriginal people. The community has been successful with a crocodile farm, raising cattle, and some tourism.
In 2021, the town of Pormpuraaw had a population of 611 people.
Contents
Pormpuraaw's Story
Pormpuraaw, also known as Edward River Mission, is located on the west coast of the Cape York Peninsula. It is found between the Chapman River and Mungkan Creek. This community is home to two main groups of Aboriginal Australian people: the Thaayorre and the Wik-Mungkan peoples. There are also 16 smaller communities, called outstations, linked to Pormpuraaw.
Early European Contact
European people first started settling on Cape York in 1865. This happened when a place called Somerset was set up. It was chosen because it was a good spot for a safe harbor and a trading port.
Later, gold mining brought more Europeans to the area. In 1872, gold was found on the Palmer River. Then, in 1876, Robert Sefton found gold near the Coen River. This led to a gold rush in Coen in 1878.
The town of Normanton was built by 1868. Groups of police were later stationed in places like Highbury and Coen. This helped European settlement spread further into Cape York.
In the late 1800s, people thought about building a port on the Mitchell River. However, these plans did not happen. In 1896, some argued that a mission was not needed in the area.
The Mission Begins
In 1900, the Church of England created the Anglican Diocese of Carpentaria. This church group was based on Thursday Island. The church received money from the Queensland Government. Bishop Gilbert White asked Ernest Gribble to help start a mission at Mitchell River. Gribble had experience from the Yarrabah Mission near Cairns.
The land for the mission became an Aboriginal reserve in 1903. In 1905, Gribble, Bishop White, and their team set up the mission at Mitchell River.
In 1923, Joseph Chapman, who was in charge of the Mitchell River Mission, started visiting a large Aboriginal camp. This camp was located at the mouth of the Edward River. Chapman kept visiting the site during the 1920s. However, a permanent mission could not be built there yet because of a lack of money.
In 1939, Joseph Chapman returned to the Edward River. This time, he was able to set up a permanent mission station.
Life at the Mission
By the late 1940s, the mission had 301 people living there. The mission was mostly self-sufficient. People lived in houses made of palm leaves. They grew bananas, sweet potatoes, yams, and other vegetables. The Aboriginal residents also built fish traps and canoes. These were used to catch fish for the mission. In 1950, cattle were brought in for meat.
In the early days, children from Edward River Mission went to school at Mitchell River Mission. In 1950, a school was built at the Edward River Mission. Reverend Brown became the first teacher. By 1953, 32 young children were enrolled. Older children still went to Mitchell River Mission for their schooling.
The St Mary and St Edward the Confessor Anglican Church opened in 1950. A cyclone damaged it in 1964, and it was taken down. A new brick church started being built in 1969 and opened around December 1971.
In January 1952, a cyclone hit the mission. Almost every building was destroyed or badly damaged. It took several years to rebuild everything.
In 1956, a manager was hired to start a cattle herd. The cattle were used for food at the mission. Any extra cattle were sent to Mitchell River to be sold. By 1964, raising cattle was the main activity at the mission. Aboriginal stockmen, led by Jim Kendall, ran the cattle operation.
In 1958, more land was added to the Edward River reserve. This happened after an agreement between the Presbyterian Church (who ran the Aurukun Mission) and the Anglican Church (who ran Edward River Mission). This made the Edward River Reserve much larger.
In 1966, the Anglican Church asked the government to take over the mission. The Queensland Government took control on May 1, 1967.
In 1971, a project started to research crocodile breeding in the area. In 1972, a crocodile farm was set up with money from the Australian Government. By 1975, the farm had 1,012 crocodiles.
Pormpuraaw State School opened in 1973.
How Many People Live Here?
In 2006, the town of Pormpuraaw had 600 people. Out of these, 536 were Indigenous.
By 2016, the population of Pormpuraaw grew to 749 people. About 83% of them were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
In the most recent count in 2021, Pormpuraaw had 611 people. About 78.4% of them were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
Unique Language and Culture
Dr. Lera Boroditsky, a scientist who studies how people think, studied the language of the people in Pormpuraaw. This language is called Kuuk Thaayorre. It is special because it uses directions like 'north' and 'south' instead of 'left' and 'right'. This means people always know where true North is. Dr. Boroditsky talked about her discoveries on a radio show called Radiolab.
The Yir Yiront language is another Aboriginal language. It traditionally comes from Western Cape York, near the Coleman River and Mitchell River. Today, it is also spoken in Pormpuraaw and Kowanyama.
Learning and Education
Pormpuraaw State School is a government school for primary students (from Early Childhood to Year 6). It is located on Pormpuraaw Street (14°53′55″S 141°37′15″E / 14.8987°S 141.6209°E). In 2018, the school had 83 students and 7 teachers. It also has a special education program for students who need extra support.
There is one preschool and one day care center in town. These are run by an Aboriginal organization.
Pormpuraaw does not have a high school or a TAFE (a college for job training). Students who want to continue their education can study through distance education or go to a boarding school.
Town Services and Facilities
Utilities
Electricity in Pormpuraaw comes from a generator. People pay for electricity using power cards, which they buy from the coffee shop or the Post Office. Electricity can be quite expensive, especially if air conditioners are used often.
Town water comes from a bore (a deep well) and is pumped into tanks. The water is good quality but has many minerals, which gives it a strong taste. Some homes have rain water tanks for drinking. The water pressure from both sources is low.
Sewage is handled by pumping stations that send waste to settling ponds.
Community Facilities
The Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council runs the Thaayorre-Munkan Library. It is located at the Thaayorre-Munkan Library and Arts and Crafts Gallery on Pormpuraaw Street.
There is also a women's refuge called Pormpur Paanthu, which means "women's house." It was started in 1991 or 1992 by cousins Myrtle Foote and May Ballie. They had been helping women experiencing domestic violence in their own homes. In 2020, these two women won a special award for their work.
St Mary and St Edward Anglican Church is located at 175 Matpi Street (14°54′00″S 141°37′08″E / 14.899888°S 141.619°E).
There is a ramp for barges and boats on the north bank of the Chapman River (14°55′03″S 141°37′19″E / 14.9174°S 141.6219°E). The Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council manages it.
Health Services
The Pormpuraaw Primary Health Clinic is open during business hours from Monday to Saturday. It also opens after hours for emergencies. There is no doctor or dentist living in the town. The Royal Flying Doctor Service visits once a week. A dentist visits every two to three months. The Royal Flying Doctor Service also comes for emergencies. The clinic has four registered nurses and four local health workers.
Shopping
Pormpuraaw has two shops. One is open six days a week and is run by Community Enterprise Queensland. The other shop is smaller and open five days a week, owned by the Anglican Church.
Fresh fruit, vegetables, and milk arrive weekly by truck during the dry season. During the wet season, they come by plane. Prices for these items are higher than in bigger cities.
There are no clothing stores or hairdressers in Pormpuraaw.
Petrol can be bought from the council workshop during business hours. Petrol prices are also very high.
Images for kids
-
Pormpuraaw, 2017
