Mornington Shire
- Location:
- A group of islands including the North Wellesley (Mornington, Sydney and Wallaby) and South Wellesley (Bentinck and Sweers) Islands in the Lower Gulf of Carpentaria, 125 km north of Burketown, 200 km west of Karumba and 444 km north of Mount Isa. It is often isolated in the wet season as flights are often cancelled and road flooding may cut the delivery of supplies to the Karumba barge.
- Area:
- 1,232.4 square km (includes 28 traditional family land outstations which are occupied mostly on a permanent basis).
- Population:
- 1,124 - primarily people of the Lardil, Yungkal and Kaiadilt tribes. The original people of Mornington Island were the Lardil tribe which formerly occupied the North Wellesley Islands. Yangkal tribal lands consist of the islands between Mornington and the mainland. The Kaiadilt tribal group occupied the South Wellesley Islands.
History of settlement
The Lardil people had little or no contact with the outside world before the early 1900s. What is now the township of Gununa began in 1914 when the Presbyterians sent missionaries and Lardil and Yangkal peoples were brought together. In 1948, after a tidal wave devastated the water supply the Kaiadilt people were also brought into the settlement. Mornington Island was managed by the Uniting Church from the early part of the last century until 1978 when the Queensland Government decided to take control of the Island. The community protested the decision and sought Commonwealth Government support for its cause. Later that year an agreement was reached between the Commonwealth and the State that the island would be self-governed as a local authority.
Mornington Island based community services include: community health service, child safety support officer, environmental health support, women’s shelter, state school to year 10, and TAFE. Law and order is supported by a police presence of six to 10 officers and two Police Liaison Officers, a Queensland Corrections Services Probation and Parole office which provides sentencing support to visiting Judges and Magistrates supervision and monitoring of offenders, a community justice group and a night patrol. State Government funding also supports the delivery of management of public intoxication, youth leadership, and homelessness programs.
The Mornington Island dancers are proud representatives of local culture and have performed all over the world.
Last updated: 15 July 2008.