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Yarrabah, Queensland

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Yarrabah (traditionally Jarrabah in the Gunggandji language spoken by the indigenous Gunggandji people)[2] is a coastal town and locality in the Aboriginal Shire of Yarrabah, Queensland, Australia.[3][4] It is an Aboriginal community.[5] In the 2021 census, the locality of Yarrabah had a population of 2,505 people.[1]

Yarrabah
Queensland
Town of Yarrabah, 2020
Yarrabah is located in Queensland
Yarrabah
Yarrabah
Coordinates16°54′27″S 145°52′03″E / 16.9076°S 145.8674°E / -16.9076; 145.8674 (Yarrabah (town centre))
Population2,505 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density16.058/km2 (41.589/sq mi)
Established1892
Postcode(s)4871
Area156.0 km2 (60.2 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Aboriginal Shire of Yarrabah
State electorate(s)Mulgrave
Federal division(s)Kennedy
Localities around Yarrabah:
East Trinity Coral Sea Coral Sea
Green Hill Yarrabah Coral Sea
Aloomba Deeral Coral Sea

Geography

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The town is about 51.5 kilometres (32 mi) by road from Cairns CBD on Cape Grafton.[6] It is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) by direct-line distance, but is geographically separated from Cairns CBD by the Murray Prior Range and Trinity Inlet, an inlet of the Coral Sea.[7]

History

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Gunggay (also known as Gunggandji, Kongandji, Kongkandji, Gungganyji, Idindji and Yidiny) is an Aboriginal language of Far North Queensland. The Gunggay language region of Cape Grafton includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Cairns Regional Council and Yarrabah Council.[8]

 
Yarrabah Mission Station, very early 1900s

An Anglican church missionary, Ernest Gribble (1868–1957) in 1892 began to regularly visit an Aboriginal group who inhabited the Yarrabah area living a very traditional lifestyle. These visits by Gribble were to encourage the tribe to move to a mission settlement he was setting up. With the help of the tribe's leader, Menmuny, the tribe moved to the mission now known as Yarrabah Community. The mission was settled in 1893. Over time, many people (including some South Sea Islanders) were relocated from homelands in the surrounding area to Yarrabah.[9]

Yarrabah State School was opened on 1 January 1892.[10] In 2017, Yarrabah State School celebrated its 125th anniversary.[11]

In 1957, the Yarrabah residents staged a strike to protest poor working conditions, inadequate food, health problems and harsh administration. The church expelled the ringleaders and many others left voluntarily, never to return. A few years later, the Government of Queensland assumed control of the mission.[9]

As a result, still today most of Yarrabah is Crown Land. Native Title claims here are hard to put forward, due to the very fragmented ethnic composition of this community, with many Aboriginal people in Yarrabah having been settled here from other areas, including interstate.[citation needed]

 
Aerial view of Yarrabah, circa 1972

In 1965, an advisory council was set up which allowed Aboriginal people to give "advice" to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs,[9] but it had no actual power and the government continued to control all aspects of local people's lives. In 1979, several community members joined a union but were stood down.[citation needed]

Eventually, on 27 October 1986, the community received Deed of Grant in Trust land tenure, making it subject to the Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984, which allowed for self-governing Aboriginal Community Councils with a range of powers and controls over the land. With the passage of reforms in 2005, the Council became an "Aboriginal Shire" and gained the authority of a legal local government.[9]

Following the 2001 Cape York Justice Study findings, Yarrabah became one of many indigenous communities in Queensland to be subject to an alcohol management plan. Restrictions on alcohol possession[12] commenced on 6 February 2004, with a review by 2006.[13] A 2012 survey for another review showed the community was divided on easing restrictions.[14]

In 2002, the first Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs) were developed in partnership with then Aboriginal Community and Island Councils across Queensland, with the State Library of Queensland. The Indigenous Knowledge Centre opened in 2015.[15] The $1.9 million facility was built both for and by the people of Yarrabah, offering learning opportunities even during its construction. Funding for the Centre was secured in 2012 by Treasurer and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Curtis Pitt, who officially opened the Yarrabah Knowledge Centre on 19 November. Leeanne Enoch, Minister for Science and Innovation, was also in attendance.[16]

On 23 July 2007, Yarrabah hosted the Cabinet of the Queensland Government in the first ever Cabinet meeting to be held in an indigenous Australian community.[17] On 1 October 2007, the Howard Coalition Government chose Yarrabah as the first recipient of what was said to be a 'landmark housing and welfare reform agreement'.[18]

In 2009 as part of the Local Government Reform Agenda in Queensland, the Council gained recognition as a local government council.[19]

Demographics

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The population of community was given to be about 630 indigenous persons in 1952.[20]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Yarrabah recorded a population of 2,559 people,[21] but some people may not have been counted due to language barriers and the transient nature of residence at the outstations.[21][22] Of those recorded, 97.4% identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The median age of Yarrabah residents was 23, compared with 38 nationally. The majority of the Yarrabah workforce was engaged as either labourers or as community and personal service workers, and worked in local government administration or social assistance services. The median individual income was $224 per week compared with $534 per week for the Cairns statistical district. 84.8% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Kriol at 6.7%. The most common responses for religion were Anglican 84.6% and No Religion 7.4%.[21]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Yarrabah had a population of 2,505 people.[1]

The town is home to a creole language known as Yarrabah Creole though it is still consider it a dialect of English.[23]

Education

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Yarrabah State School, 2023

Yarrabah State School is a government primary and secondary (Early Childhood-10) school for boys and girls[24][25] It includes a special education program.[24] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 443 students with 46 teachers (44 full-time equivalent) and 41 non-teaching staff (29 full-time equivalent).[26] In 2022, the school had 465 students with 43 teachers (41 full-time equivalent) and 54 non-teaching staff (39 full-time equivalent), of whom 29 staff (21 full-time equivalent) are Indigenous.[27]

 
Entrance to the secondary school campus, 2020

The school operates from three sites:

The nearest school for students continuing on to senior years (Year 11–12) is Gordonvale State High School in Gordonvale to the south-west.[7] There is a free-of-charge school bus to Gordonvale State High School, which is the only public transport available for Yarrabah residents.[citation needed] A few decades back a ferry service transferred students to and from school in Cairns, before the road to Yarrabah was sealed. This service is no longer in use.[citation needed]

The Yarrabah community has a public library which serves a number of purposes including access to computers and the Internet, equipment to watch movies on DVD, and educational links including a Homework Centre (a Federal Government initiative) and access to the RATEP (Aboriginal Teacher Education Program) at James Cook University in Townsville for those training to be teachers.[citation needed]

Facilities

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Yarrabah, from Back Beach Road, looking towards 'the mission', a reference to the main settlement.

Ergon Energy powers the station and the residences. Ergon Energy power lines power the whole community as far as the Oombunji are (5-10 kilometres from the town). Residents who live further than Oombunji and other places/suburbs in Yarrabah such as Wungu ('sounds of corroboree dance'), Back Beach, Buddabaddoo, King Beach, Turtle Bay and Jilji have to use power generators for electricity. People who live in these outer places/suburbs have to adapt to live without power. The area is subjected to power blackouts especially during the wet season. During the blackouts there are no cooking facilities. Some blackouts have been known to last up to five days.[citation needed]

Yarrabah's medical needs are serviced by a multi-disciplinary primary health care centre, which handles emergencies and general practice care, but does not have inpatient facilities. It is staffed 24 hours a day by staff who mostly commute from Cairns.[28][29]

There is a police station in the town. Issues of concern include violence, alcohol/substance abuse, domestic violence, and high unemployment.[30][31] Previously youth suicide was higher than surrounding areas.[32]

Amenities

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Yarrabah has one small supermarket run by local people, two hot food take-away shops, a local bakery and a drive-in pub, as well as a service station. For most other commercial needs, people need to travel to Gordonvale, Edmonton or Cairns. The road to the community is bitumen sealed and is accessible all year round despite weather conditions.[citation needed]

The Yarrabah community has its own newsletter entitled Yarrabah News, published monthly since the late 1970s.[citation needed]

There is a police citizens youth club in the town.[citation needed]

The township has had a brass band since 1901 to the 1950s,[33][34][35] until resurrected in 2013,[36] making their debut at the inaugural Yarrabah Band Festival.[37] The festival itself is now held annually around October, drawing a crowd of about 4000 persons.[38]

Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council operates an Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKC) library service located at Lot 207 Noble Drive[39][40] which opened in 2015. The $1.9 million facility was built both for and by the people of Yarrabah, offering learning opportunities even during its construction. Funding for the centre was secured in 2012 by Treasurer and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Curtis Pitt, who officially opened the Yarrabah Knowledge Centre on 19 November. Leeanne Enoch, Minister for Science and Innovation, was also in attendance.[16] Yarrabah has a long history of providing a library service to the community. Before the establishment of IKCs, the then-Yarrabah Aboriginal Council operated a Country Lending Service (CLS) as far back as 1984. In 2003, the council asked the State Library of Queensland to transform the CLS into an IKC and lobbied for funds for a new building. The CLS was operational until it suffered irreparable damage during Cyclone Yasi in 2011.[41]

Attractions

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The Yarrabah Menmuny Museum, opened in 1996, is located in the Jilji suburb.[42] The museum's name comes from the local tribe leader of the late 1800s, Menmuny, who was also given the title 'King John' Menmuny,[43] who died circa 1919.[44] A later elder was 'King' Albert Maywee.[20]

Events

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The Yarrabah Band Festival is held annually around October, drawing a crowd of about 4,000 people.[38]

Transport

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Yarrabah was formerly served by the Paradise Bus, which is based in Babinda and privately run. As of 2016, this bus service only provides a regular service along the Bruce Highway, about 30 km from Yarrabah, which joins the community of Gordonvale (south of Cairns), with the suburb of Edmonton and the Cairns CBD.[citation needed]

When there were no sealed roads to reach Cairns, a ferry service provided access to Yarrabah. Locals called this ferry a 'flatty'. It carried school children back and forth from Yarrabah to the city of Cairns. A construction project to build a new wharf at Yarrabah commenced in May 2021, after the Queensland Government allocated 7 million dollars to this purpose.[45] It is expected when this new wharf becomes operational, regular and reliable water transport will be resumed for Yarrabah, which lies only 11 kilometres by sea from the Cairns waterfront.[citation needed]

Youth can be occasionally riding some of the brumbies of the area, without saddles.[citation needed]

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  •  
    Driving towards Yarrabah township
  •  
    Driving through Trinity Forest Reserve
  •  
    Track to Mount Yarrabah
  •  
    Mountain creek
  •  
    Looking towards the Point Road boat ramp
  •  
    Looking from the boat ramp towards the main township
  •  
    Along the Point Road beach
  •  
    From the main beach towards the boat ramp
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    Residential area along Stanley Street
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    Residential area along Workshop Road
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    Decorative art on toilet block
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    The larger of two town cemeteries
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    Brumbies grazing on the roadside
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    Wungu beach area (Gunggandji country)

References

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  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Yarrabah (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  2. ^ Dixon, R. M. W. (2011). Searching for Aboriginal Languages: Memoirs of a Field Worker. Cambridge University Press. p. 229. ISBN 978-1-108-02504-1. Archived from the original on 19 May 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Yarrabah – town in Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire (entry 38504)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Yarrabah – locality in Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire (entry 45792)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  5. ^ "A History of Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council". Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Cairns CBD to Yarrabah" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  8. ^   This Wikipedia article incorporates CC BY 4.0 licensed text from: "Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map". State Library of Queensland. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d "Yarrabah". First nations. Queensland Government. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  11. ^ "Queensland school anniversaries (2017)". Queensland Government Department of Education and Training. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Community alcohol limits: Yarrabah". Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships. The State of Queensland. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Freedom of information request" (PDF). Department of Premier and Cabinet. The State of Queensland. 6 July 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Yarrabah Mayor reveals division over easing grog bans". Australian Broadcasting Commission. 7 July 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  15. ^   This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Yarrabah: CLS to IKC (25 November 2022) by State Library of Queensland published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 18 January 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Yarrabah's $1.9 million Indigenous Knowledge Centre officially opens". Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  17. ^ Queensland Cabinet Meets in far north, news.com.au[permanent dead link‍];
  18. ^ Yarrabah, Govt to sign welfare deal news.com.au website. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
  19. ^ "View - Queensland Legislation - Queensland Government". Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  20. ^ a b "World of Its Own: Queensland Aboriginal Village". The Age. Victoria, Australia. 20 December 1952. p. 11. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020 – via Trove.
  21. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Yarrabah (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  22. ^ Limerick, Michael (2009). "Yarrabah Shire Council Governance Case Study" (PDF). p. 94. Retrieved 24 January 2018.[permanent dead link‍]
  23. ^ Yeatman, Bernadine; Angelo, Denise. "Recognising Yarrie Lingo, the creole language of Yarrabah community in far north-eastern Queensland Australia" (PDF). p. 2.
  24. ^ a b c d e "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  25. ^ "Yarrabah State School". Yarrabah State School. 29 November 2020. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  26. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  27. ^ "School annual report 2022" (PDF). Yarrabah State School. pp. 2, 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  28. ^ MASON, Grace (14 November 2017). "Yarrabah health service to be shut down overnight". Cairns Post. Cairns Post. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  29. ^ "Yarrabah turmoil: Brawls, beatings and mobile phones". Cairns Post. 4 September 2019. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  30. ^ "From lateral violence to lateral love: the online project restoring pride to Yarrabah". SBS. 7 July 2017. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  31. ^ "Police bombarded with bricks, bottles, eggs as violence erupts in Aboriginal community Yarrabah". Courier-Mail (Brisbane). 21 March 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  32. ^ HARTLEY, Anna (28 December 2018). "Far north Queensland Indigenous community reflects on two decades of tackling suicide crisis". Australian Broadcasting Commission. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Advertising". Morning Post (Cairns). Queensland, Australia. 5 January 1904. p. 3. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020 – via Trove.
  34. ^ "Excursion to Yarrabah". Cairns Post. Queensland, Australia. 12 December 1924. p. 4. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020 – via Trove.
  35. ^ "TO Yarrabah Mission Monster Celebration". Cairns Post. Queensland, Australia. 24 June 1933. p. 3. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020 – via Trove.
  36. ^ 2015 'Chris Tamwoy to play Yarrabah Festival', Torres News (Thursday Island, Qld. : 1957-2015), 2 November, p. 7., viewed 10 May 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article255548448 Archived 20 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  37. ^ SEXTON-McGRATH, Kristy (9 November 2014). "Yarrabah Band Festival: Return of the brass band brings thousands out to Indigenous community". Australian Broadcasting Commission. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  38. ^ a b MacALPINE, Todd (29 September 2017). "Yarrabah Band Festival". NQ Music Press. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  39. ^ "Yarrabah Knowledge Centre". State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  40. ^ "Yarrabah Knowledge Centre". Public Libraries Connect. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  41. ^   This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Yarrabah: CLS to IKC (25 November 2022) by Indigenous Services published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 18 January 2023.
  42. ^ "Menmuny Museum". Yarrabah Aboriginal Community - Queensland. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  43. ^ "40 years among blacks". The Australasian. Victoria, Australia. 2 August 1930. p. 5 (METROPOLITAN EDITION). Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020 – via Trove.
  44. ^ "Ministers Fraternal". Cairns Post. Queensland, Australia. 6 August 1936. p. 8. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020 – via Trove.
  45. ^ "Yarrabah Jetty project". Department of Transport and Main Roads. State of Queensland. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
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