Shire of Aurukun
| Shire of Aurukun Queensland |
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 Location within Queensland |
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| Population: | 1,216(2010)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 1978 | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 7375.0 km² (2,847.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Mayor: | Neville Pootchemunka | ||||||||||||
| Council Seat: | Aurukun | ||||||||||||
| Region: | Far North Queensland | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Cook | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Leichhardt | ||||||||||||
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The Shire of Aurukun is a Local Government Area located in Far North Queensland, Australia. The shire covers part of western Cape York Peninsula, the most northerly section of the Australian mainland.
It covers an area of 7,375.0 square kilometres (2,847.5 sq mi), and has existed as a local government entity since 1978.
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[edit] History
The territory of the Shire of Aurukun was previously an Aboriginal reserve administered under the Queensland Aborigines Act by the Presbyterian Church. The Aurukun Mission was established in 1904 and Aboriginal people from all over Cape York were relocated there.
In 1978, the land was taken over by the Queensland Government, who enacted the Local Government (Aboriginal Lands) Act 1978, proclaimed the Shire of Aurukun and granted to it Aboriginal Land Lease No.1. An elected Aboriginal council lasted just one month and an administrator was appointed. The State's media at the time generally was of the opinion that bauxite revenues were a major factor in the Government's decision making on the issue.[2]
In the 1990s, an elected council once again took charge.
[edit] Towns and localities
[edit] Population
The population of the Shire of Aurukun, along with Cook, Torres and Mornington, have been singled out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), who conduct the quinquennial census, as particularly difficult to measure accurately. Reasons for this include cultural and language barriers, transport and geographical spread of the population, who are mostly located in isolated communities. As such, all figures are likely to be lower than the actual population on the census date.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 791 |
| 1986 | 937 |
| 1991 | 784 |
| 1996 | 781 |
| 2001 | 1,032 |
| 2006 | 1,043 |
[edit] References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 March 2011). "Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2009–10". http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3218.0~2009-10~Main+Features~Queensland?OpenDocument. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ Cribb, Margaret (December 1978). "Australian Political Chronicle: January-June 1978". Australian Journal of Politics and History 24 (3): 371–372. ISSN 0004-9522.
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