Yarrabah, Queensland
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Yarrabah () is an independent Aboriginal community situated approximately 7km from Cairns on Cape Grafton. While its proximity is close as the crow flies, it is approximately 50km by road from Cairns. The road is bitumen sealed and is accessible all year round despite weather conditions.
Church Influence: Australian Board of Mission
The Yarrabah area, south of Cairns, was originally inhabited by the Gungganydji.
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[edit] Mission/History
An Anglican mission was established in 1892, with a policy of dormitories for children and a ban on all traditional activities. Gradually many people removed from their own homelands were relocated to Yarrabah.
In 1957 as a result of intolerable living and working conditions a strike was staged. The "ringleaders' were expelled from the mission and others persuaded to leave.
In 1960 the Government took over the mission forcing people to live within the confines of the settlement as all outstations were closed.
In 1965 an advisory Aboriginal Council was established which reported to the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs. Yarrabah received a Deed of Grant in Trust similar to other communities in Queensland in 1979.
Anglican Church Missionary Ernest Gribble began to regularly visit an Aboriginal tribe who originally inhabited the Yarrabah area living a very traditional lifestyle. These visits by Missionary Ernest Gribble were to encourage the tribe to move to a mission settlement he was in the process of setting up. The mission was settled in 1893.
With the help of the tribes’ leader, Menmuny, the tribe moved to the mission now known as Yarrabah Community. With the closing of the mission in the late 1960s, the new Yarrabah Community came under the Queensland Government.
The first Yarrabah Community Aboriginal Council was established. In 1986, Yarrabah Community received its Deed Of Grant in Trust land tenure status making the Yarrabah Community Council self-governing.
[edit] Population
The area has a population of around 4,000 persons however this can vary due to the transient nature of the people. Yarrabah, as with most Aboriginal communities, suffers from high unemployment and high rate of alcohol abuse.
[edit] Education
The Yarrabah Community has a State Pre School, Primary School and High School to Year 10 only. All students going on to senior must travel to Gordonvale via bus which leaves at around 7.30am each morning and returning around 4.15 pm. Most officers stationed previously at Yarrabah have chosen to send their children to school in Gordonvale.
[edit] Utilities
Electricity supply: Ergon Energy powers the station and the residences. Reliability of supply: 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 5 days. Type and quality of water supply: There is clean water available to use ie showers and washing clothes. However it is not advisable to drink this water. Type of sewerage: Yarrabah has sewer system in place
[edit] Medical
Yarrabah is serviced by St Luke's Public Hospital. The hospital staff work on a 24 hour roster and the full time resident doctor also provides his services to the surgery. The hospital is a 13 bed facility and is staffed 24 hours a day by nurses who mostly commute from Cairns. There is a Community Health Clinic operating as an extension of the Cairns Base Hospital on a full time basis. The chemist is only open during the day Monday to Friday and is not open on weekends. There are no specialists located in Yarrabah and no dental facilities. There is a QAS office in Yarrabah
[edit] Shopping
Yarrabah has one small supermarket run by local people and a takeaway store. Availability of Fresh Produce: Good in Yarrabah. Available from Gordonvale, Edmonton or Cairns. Access to hairdresser, haberdashery and clothing stores: Nil - have to travel to Cairns, Gordonvale or Edmonton. Petrol & Diesel: There is a small service station in Yarrabah with consistent trading hours. They provide petrol and diesel fuels only, normally at about current Cairns selling price. They also provide gas bottle refills at reasonable prices.
[edit] Recreation
The area is well known for enjoying great fishing, prawning, crabbing and crayfishing from the beach, creeks and the ocean.
