Shire of Aurukun

Shire of Aurukun Queensland
Location within Queensland
Population	1,216 (2010)
• Density	0.16488/km2 (0.42704/sq mi)
Established	1978
Area	7,375.0 km2 (2,847.5 sq mi)
Mayor	Dereck Walpo
Council seat	Aurukun
Region	Far North Queensland
State electorate(s)	Cook
Federal Division(s)	Leichhardt
Website	Shire of Aurukun
LGAs around Shire of Aurukun: Cook Cook Napranum Gulf of Carpentaria Shire of Aurukun Cook Gulf of Carpentaria Pormpuraaw Cook

The Shire of Aurukun is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. The shire covers part of western Cape York Peninsula, the most northerly section of the Australian mainland.

It covers an area of 7,375.0 square kilometres (2,847.5 sq mi), and has existed as a local government area since 1978.

History

The territory of the Shire of Aurukun was previously an Aboriginal reserve administered under the Queensland Aborigines Act by the Presbyterian Church. The Aurukun Mission was established in 1904 and Aboriginal people from all over Cape York were relocated there.

In 1978, the land was taken over by the Queensland Government, who enacted the Local Government (Aboriginal Lands) Act 1978, proclaimed the Shire of Aurukun and granted to it Aboriginal Land Lease No.1. An elected Aboriginal council lasted just one month and an administrator was appointed. The State's media at the time generally was of the opinion that bauxite revenues were a major factor in the Government's decision making on the issue.

In the 1990s, an elected council once again took charge.

Towns and localities

• Aurukun

Population

The population of the Shire of Aurukun, along with Cook, Torres and Mornington, have been singled out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), who conduct the quinquennial census, as particularly difficult to measure accurately. Reasons for this include cultural and language barriers, transport and geographical spread of the population, who are mostly located in isolated communities. As such, all figures are likely to be lower than the actual population on the census date.

Year	Population
1981	791
1986	937
1991	784
1996	781
2001	1,032
2006	1,043

Chairmen and Mayors

Start of term	End of term	Chairman/Mayor	Notes
2008	2012	Neville James Pootchemunka
2012	current	Dereck Walpo	Elected on 16 June 2012 in a postponed election due to the death of one of the original candidates. Re-elected unopposed in 2016.