Weipa

Weipa (/wiːpə/)^[3] is a coastal mining town in the local government area of Weipa Town in Queensland.^[4] It is one of the largest towns on the Cape York Peninsula. It exists because of the enormous bauxite deposits along the coast. The Port of Weipa is mainly involved in exports of bauxite. There are also shipments of live cattle from the port.^[5]

In the 2016 census, Weipa had a population of 3,899 people.^[1]

Geography

Weipa is on the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula facing the Gulf of Carpentaria.^[6]

Weipa is just south of Duyfken Point, which was named by Matthew Flinders on 8 November 1802 after the ship Duyfken commanded by the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon.^[7] It is claimed that Janszoon was the first European to sight the Australian coast in the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1606, 164 years before Lieutenant James Cook sailed up the east coast of Australia.^[8]

The town consists of three residential suburbs,

Kugu Yi'anh is a language of Cape York. The traditional language area of Kugu Yi'anh includes landscape within the local government boundaries of the Cook Shire.[10]

Kugu Nganchara (also known as Wik, Wiknantjara, Wik Nganychara, Wik Ngencherr. See also related Wik languages) is a traditional language of the area which includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the

Very restrictive legislation was enacted by the state of Queensland in 1911, making the Protector of Aborigines the legal guardian of every Aboriginal and part-Aboriginal child (until he/she was 21), and the right to confine (or expel) any such person within any Aboriginal reserve or institution, and the right to imprison any Aboriginal or part-Aboriginal person for 14 days if, in the Protector's judgement, they were guilty of neglect of duty, gross insubordination or wilful preaching of disobedience. It also gave powers to the police to confine Aboriginal people to reserves to "protect them from corruption". This latter power was given by Comalco^{[clarification needed]} in 1957 to justify the removal of Weipa Aboriginal people.^[16]

In 1932, the community had to relocate to its present site, at

The "Comalco Act 1957" revoked the reserve status, giving the company 5,760 square kilometres (2,220 sq mi) of Aboriginal reserve land on the west coast of the Peninsula and 5,135 square kilometres (1,983 sq mi) on the east coast of Aboriginal-owned (though not reserve) land.[18] Mining commenced in 1960. In 1962, residents accepted Comalco's offer to rebuild the Jessica Point village at a cost of £150,000. By the time building began in 1965, it became clear that funding was inadequate to build houses for the whole community, which contributed towards the Presbyterian Church's decision to hand over responsibility for the mission to the Queensland Government. The community became known as Weipa South after this.^[15]

The Weipa Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns was established in 1982.^[19]

On 30 March 1985, the Weipa South community elected the Weipa South Aboriginal Council, and the Aboriginal reserve held by the government was transferred to the council on 27 October 1988 under a

In 1995 a major industrial dispute occurred between Comalco and its workforce to maintain union coverage, pay and conditions.[20]

On 1 January 2005, the Napranum Aboriginal Council became the

In the 2016 census, Weipa had a population of 3,899 people.^[1]

Climate

Weipa has a

These seasons are not always set, however; sometimes the wet season can start as early as November or the dry season can extend as late as December, and monsoonal downpours have occurred as late as May.

Extreme temperatures have ranged from 10.2 °C (50.4 °F) to 39.2 °C (102.6 °F). The highest daily rainfall recorded was 327.8 mm (12.9 in) during the passage of Tropical Cyclone Oswald in January 2013.^[22]

Economy

The present town was constructed mainly by

The Western Cape College is a government co-educational school; it provides early childhood (kindergarten), primary and secondary schooling. It is on the corner of Central and Eastern Avenues in Rocky Point (12°37′37″S 141°52′50″E / 12.6269°S 141.8805°E / -12.6269; 141.8805 (Western Cape College)).^[26] In 2015, the school had an enrolment of 1,073 students with 93 teachers (90 full-time equivalent).^[27]

St Joseph's Parish School is a Roman Catholic co-educational primary school at 2 Boundary Road, Rocky Point (12°37′45″S 141°52′49″E / 12.6293°S 141.8802°E / -12.6293; 141.8802 (St Joseph's Parish School, Weipa)). Opened in 2016, the school only offered enrolment in years P–3 but expected to be able to offer enrollment across all primary levels (P–6) in 2018.^[28][29]

Amenities

Weipa has a visitor's centre, swimming pool, bowling green, golf club, tennis and squash courts. There are netball and basketball courts as well as football fields.

At Nanum the shopping precinct has a Woolworths supermarket, bakery, coffee shop, travel agent, clothing shop, post office, newsagency / sports shop and butchers. There is also a chemist, camping and fishing store and within walking distance is a gift shop, furniture and whitegoods store, credit union and government social security office. At Evans Landing there are a hardware store and a number of mechanical workshops.^[31]

St Joseph's Catholic Church is on Boundary Road at Rocky Point. It is within the Weipa Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.^[19]

Gallery

• 
  Main road through Weipa township
• 
  Weipa Mission River bridge
• 
  Coastal beach and bay near Wallaby Island
• 
  Coastal beach at Nanum suburb
• 
  Raised cabins at caravan park near the beach
• 
  Former mining pit, now a freshwater pond
• 
  Car park at Woolworths shopping centre, mostly 4WDs
• 
  Weipa police station
• 
  Standard style of housing in Trunding suburb
• 
  Sunset over the Gulf of Carpentaria

See also

• Weipa Airport
• RAAF Base Scherger, also former site of Weipa Immigrant Detention Centre

References

Further reading

• Moon, Ron & Viv. 2003. Cape York: An Adventurer's Guide. 9th edition. Moon Adventure Publications, Pearcedale, Victoria.
  ISBN 0-9578766-4-5
• Moore, David R. 1979. Islanders and Aborigines at Cape York: An ethnographic reconstruction based on the 1848–1850 'Rattlesnake' Journals of O. W. Brierly and information he obtained from Barbara Thompson. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. Canberra.
  ISBN 0-391-00948-6
  (pbk).
• Roberts, Jan. 1981. Massacres to Mining: The Colonization of Aboriginal Australia. Dove Communications, Blackburn, Victoria. Rev. Australian ed. Previous ed: CIMRA and War on Want, 1978, London.
  ISBN 0-85924-171-8
  .
• Premier's Department (prepared by Connell Wagner). 1989. Cape York Peninsula Resource Analysis. Cairns.
  OCLC 220913048
• Roth, W.E. 1897. The Queensland Aborigines. 3 Vols. Reprint: Facsimile Edition, Hesperian Press, Victoria Park, W.A., 1984.
  ISBN 0-85905-054-8
• Ryan, Michelle and Burwell, Colin, eds. 2000. Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland: Cooktown to Mackay. Queensland Museum, Brisbane.
  ISBN 0-85905-045-9
  (set of 3 vols).
• Scarth-Johnson, Vera. 2000. National Treasures: Flowering plants of Cooktown and Northern Australia. Vera Scarth-Johnson Gallery Association, Cooktown.
  ISBN 0-646-39725-7
  Limited Edition – Leather Bound.
• Sutton, Peter (ed). Languages of Cape York: Papers presented to a Symposium organised by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra. (1976).
  ISBN 0-85575-046-4
• Wallace, Lennie. 2003. Cape York Peninsula: A History of Unlauded Heroes 1845–2003. Central Queensland University Press, Rockhampton.
  ISBN 1-876780-43-6
• Wynter, Jo and Hill, John. 1991. Cape York Peninsula: Pathways to Community Economic Development. The Final Report of The Community Economic Development Projects Cook Shire. Cook Shire Council.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Weipa, Queensland.

• "A Cape to Adventure" A description of a 4WD journey to Cape York by Roderick Eime
• Cooktown Shire Official web page
• Collection of photographs taken by Wolfgang Sievers in 1957 "Presbyterian Mission Station Weipa" held at National Library of Australia, Canberra
• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Weipa
• Napranum cha Newspaper, State Library of Queensland- digitised issues of Weipa newspaper produced by Weipa South Community Editorial Committee
• Weipa People Documentary, State Library of Queensland