Shire of Mornington (Queensland)

The Shire of Mornington is a local government area in northwestern Queensland, Australia. The shire covers the Wellesley Islands, which includes Mornington Island; the South Wellesley Islands; Bountiful Islands; and West Wellesley / Forsyth Islands groups in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

For the former local government area on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, see Shire of Mornington (Victoria).
Mornington Shire
Queensland
Mornington Island from space, September 1991
Population1,218 (2018)[1]
 • Density0.9760/km2 (2.5277/sq mi)
Established1978
Area1,248 km2 (481.9 sq mi)[1]
MayorKyle Hector Yanner
Council seatGununa
State electorate(s)Traeger
Federal division(s)Kennedy
WebsiteMornington Shire
LGAs around Mornington Shire:
Gulf of Carpentaria Gulf of Carpentaria Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria Mornington Shire Gulf of Carpentaria
Burke Doomadgee Burke

History

The shire includes the traditional lands of a number of Aboriginal Australian peoples.

The shire was formed in 1978 when the Queensland Government decided to take control of the islands over from the Uniting Church of Australia. The local community objected, and asked the Australian federal government to help overturn this decision. After negotiations, it was agreed that the community would become self-governing under a so-called "local government" model.[2]

In 2001, the shire had a population of 934, of whom 88.2% were Indigenous (Aboriginal Australian or Torres Strait Islander).[3]

Geography

The Shire Council covers 26 islands, which make up the Wellesley Islands, South Wellesley Islands, Bountiful Islands and Forsyth Islands (also known as West Wellesley) groups.[4]

The area has abundant flora and fauna, including tea trees, mangroves and sea oaks. The beaches are filled with a variety of marine life, including turtles and the endangered dugong. It is a fishing and diving locale with beaches and an emphasis on ecotourism.[5]

Demography

The islands of the shire are inhabited by the Lardil, Yangkaal, Kaiadilt and Gangalidda peoples.[4] An Australian Aboriginal language, Lardil (also known as Gununa, Ladil), is spoken on Mornington Island and on the Northern Wellesley Islands, all within the Mornington Shire.[6] Another Australian Aboriginal language, Yukulta (also known as Ganggalida), is spoken in the Gulf Country, which includes the local government areas of the Aboriginal Shire of Doomadgee and Shire of Mornington.[7]

The administrative centre of the shire is the township of Gununa on Mornington Island.[8]

At the 2016 census, the population of the shire had risen to 1,143, with 86.1% of residents being either Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.[9]

Amenities

The Mornington Shire Council does not operate any public libraries.[10]

Mayors
  • 2008 - 2012: Cecil Goodman [11]
  • 2012 - 2020: Bradley Wilson [12][13]
  • 2020 - present: Kyle Hector Yanner [14]

References
  1. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  2. James Cook University - Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health Archived 27 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine - Mornington Island page. Retrieved 21 December 2006.
  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Mornington (S) (Local Government Area)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 June 2007.
  4. "Mornington Shire Planning Scheme" (Map + text). Mornington Shire Council. April 2014. pp. 2–3, 8. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  5. "About the Island(s)". Mornington Shire Council.
  6. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Indigenous Languages of Queensland". State Library of Queensland. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  7. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yukulta". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  8. "Useful Information". Mornington Shire Council. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  9. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mornington (S)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  10. "Mornington Shire". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 3 April 2014. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  11. "2008 Mornington Shire - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  12. "2012 Mornington Shire - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  13. "2016 Mornington Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  14. "2020 Local Government Elections: Saturday, 28 March 2020". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 2020. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.

20°43′29″S 139°29′37″E

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