Yungngora Community, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Yungngora is a medium-sized Aboriginal
Community in the Kimberley region
in northern Western Australia
, situated approximately 280 km east-south-east of Broome
and 100 km south-west of Fitzroy Crossing
. At the 2006 census
, Yungngora had a population of 288.
on the banks of the Fitzroy River
between Camballin
and Fitzroy Crossing
. Yungngora is the gateway to communities further inland such as Kadjina Community
and Yakanarra Community. The main access road is unpaved and so becomes inaccessible during the 'wet season
'.
.
The pastoral lease at Noonkanbah was purchased for the community in 1976. Great controversy surrounded the township when its citizens opposed the exploratory oil drilling at a sacred site on the station by the American oil miner AMAX in 1979.
However, the Western Australian State Government has recently commenced plans on a project for its wholly owned integrated regional utility Horizon Power to provide electricity to the Yungngora community located at Noonkanbah through the State’s Aboriginal and Remote Communities Power Supply Program (or ARCPSP). The project will involve constructing a new power station and upgrading the electricity network in Noonkanbah and providing normal retail utility services and support. As with many remote Aboriginal communities, residents and businesses will use pre-payment cards to pay for electricity and will be eligible to receive electricity at government-gazetted uniform tariff rates. Customers are able to access a range of State Government concessions and rebates that were not previously available to them.
ARCPSP is a significant program aimed at improving the quality, safety, reliability and affordability of electricity supplies in remote Aboriginal communities. The program is funded by the State Government (Office of Energy) and the Commonwealth Department of Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
. A transfer pump station then pumps the water into the high level tank. The water has been recorded as coming out of the ground at between 50 and 60 degrees C. It is this condition which has prompted the installation of cooling towers. There are occasional interruptions.
Bush walking, some fishing and camping are the dominant pursuits for tourists visiting. Visitors are required to apply for a permit prior to entering the Community.
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
Community in the Kimberley region
Kimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
in northern Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, situated approximately 280 km east-south-east of Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
and 100 km south-west of Fitzroy Crossing
Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia
Fitzroy Crossing is a small town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, 400 km east of Broome and 300 km west of Halls Creek. It is approximately 2,524 km from the state capital of Perth....
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Yungngora had a population of 288.
Background
The community is located on the Noonkanbah StationNoonkanbah Station
Noonkanbah Station is a cattle station on the Fitzroy River between Camballin and Fitzroy Crossing. The station was pegged out in the 1880s and covered approximately 4,000 square kilometres or 1,000,000 Acres in the south central Kimberley of Western Australia...
on the banks of the Fitzroy River
Fitzroy River (Western Australia)
The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.-Discovery:The Fitzroy River was discovered by the West in 1837 by George Grey in the H.M.S. Beagle. The river was subsequently named by Lt J L Stokes on 26/2/1838 after Captain Robert FitzRoy R.N...
between Camballin
Camballin, Western Australia
Camballin is a small town in the West Kimberley district of Western Australia. The town is located on the Camballin Station about 110 km south of Derby and between Derby and Fitzroy Crossing, with the homestead being situated in the town...
and Fitzroy Crossing
Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia
Fitzroy Crossing is a small town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, 400 km east of Broome and 300 km west of Halls Creek. It is approximately 2,524 km from the state capital of Perth....
. Yungngora is the gateway to communities further inland such as Kadjina Community
Kadjina Community, Western Australia
Kadjina is situated approximately 300 km ESE of Broome and 100 km SW of Fitzroy Crossing in the central south of the Kimberley region, Western Australia.-Education:...
and Yakanarra Community. The main access road is unpaved and so becomes inaccessible during the 'wet season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
'.
History
Some members of the Yungngora people were removed to Beagle Bay Community as part of the Stolen GenerationStolen Generation
The Stolen Generations were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments...
.
The pastoral lease at Noonkanbah was purchased for the community in 1976. Great controversy surrounded the township when its citizens opposed the exploratory oil drilling at a sacred site on the station by the American oil miner AMAX in 1979.
Education
Yungngora Community has a school, Kulkarriya Community School, which was established in 1978 for students from pre-primary through Year 12 in the Western Australian education system. At present it employs five teachers, a principal and 17 Aboriginal staff. The primary and secondary school population for the year 2007 was 87.Electricity supply
Electricity supply is currently non-regularised and self-managed by the community.However, the Western Australian State Government has recently commenced plans on a project for its wholly owned integrated regional utility Horizon Power to provide electricity to the Yungngora community located at Noonkanbah through the State’s Aboriginal and Remote Communities Power Supply Program (or ARCPSP). The project will involve constructing a new power station and upgrading the electricity network in Noonkanbah and providing normal retail utility services and support. As with many remote Aboriginal communities, residents and businesses will use pre-payment cards to pay for electricity and will be eligible to receive electricity at government-gazetted uniform tariff rates. Customers are able to access a range of State Government concessions and rebates that were not previously available to them.
ARCPSP is a significant program aimed at improving the quality, safety, reliability and affordability of electricity supplies in remote Aboriginal communities. The program is funded by the State Government (Office of Energy) and the Commonwealth Department of Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Water
There are two bores next to the power station which pump into the ground tank. The bores pump the water from approximately 100 metres from below the ground level, despite the community being situated on the banks of the Fitzroy RiverFitzroy River (Western Australia)
The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.-Discovery:The Fitzroy River was discovered by the West in 1837 by George Grey in the H.M.S. Beagle. The river was subsequently named by Lt J L Stokes on 26/2/1838 after Captain Robert FitzRoy R.N...
. A transfer pump station then pumps the water into the high level tank. The water has been recorded as coming out of the ground at between 50 and 60 degrees C. It is this condition which has prompted the installation of cooling towers. There are occasional interruptions.
Sewerage
There is a sewer system in place in the community which comprises one pump station near the football oval and treatment ponds on the northern outskirts of the community.Recreation
The community has basketball courts and a football oval. Yungngora fields a team in the Central Kimberley Football League called the 'Noonkanbah Blues'.Bush walking, some fishing and camping are the dominant pursuits for tourists visiting. Visitors are required to apply for a permit prior to entering the Community.
Shopping
There is one store in town, owned and operated by the Community. All items are quite expensive compared to major centres but bear in mind transport costs to remote locations. Mechanical repairs may be effected at the mechanical workshop.External links
- ABC Radio National
- Dreaming Online: Timeline - Contact 1970 - 2000
- Central Desert and Kimberley groups reach native title agreements (National Native Title Tribunal, 23 December 2004)