Aurukun Shire Council


	Aurukun Shire Council 39 KANG KANG ROAD AURUKUN QLD 4871 ph 07 4060 6800 fax 07 4060 6191 email council@aurukun.qld.gov.au

FORMATION OF THE SHIRE

Aurukun Mission was established in 1904 with the reserve being managed under the provision of the Queensland Aborigines Act by the Presbyterian Church. Aboriginal people were relocated from a large surrounding area, many against their will, to the mission settlement. Today’s township is on the site of the original mission.

In 1978, the Queensland Government decided to take over control of both Aurukun and Mornington Island reserves. Both communities were against this and protested seeking the help of the Commonwealth Government.

After lengthy negotiations, legislation for self-management of the two reserves was introduced into Federal Parliament and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Queensland Reserves and Communities Self-Management) Act was passed on 7 April 1978. On the same day, the Queensland Government revoked the two reserves which meant that neither the Queensland Act or the new Commonwealth legislation applied to the area any longer.

Further negotiations took place between State and Federal Ministers and after lengthy discussions, an agreement was reached wherein local authorities would be created for the former reserves and that the land should be leased to the newly created councils for a period of fifty (50) years.

The Local Government (Aboriginal Lands) Act came into force on 22 May 1978. This Act constituted the Aurukun Shire Council and granted to it Aboriginal Land Lease No. 1. This lease includes a substantial part, but not all, of the original Aboriginal Reserve and the traditional lands of the aboriginal people living in Aurukun.

Under the terms of the lease, Aurukun Shire Council is trustee for the land within the Shire boundaries, excluding Crown Reserves.

Please click here to obtain map of the Shire as delineated in Aboriginal Land Lease No. 1 .