|
|
OUTSTATIONS |
 |
|
An Outstation/Homeland is a piece of land (big or small) belonging to indigenous people (most commonly in family groups) and where they live. Mabunji services 26 Outstations Homelands, providing services such as transport, housing, water, power (electricity, solar). Mabunji is located in the main town of Borroloola and employs over 300 Indigenous people on a CDEP Government funded scheme. The centre is also responsible for a lot of town based facilities and hosts the Community Radio Station. The local Aboriginal Directors meet once a month and are the contact area for any decisions about the operation of the Organisation, which covers some 600 km of the Gulf Country and the Sir Edward Pellew group of Islands.
| ||
| BAUHINIA DOWNS
Bauhinia Downs is some 120 km south west of Borroloola and has beautiful pristine waterfalls, gorge, hot and cold springs. It also supports a variety of wildlife such as salt water and fresh water crocodiles, bat colony, gorgeous butterfly colonies, bush turkey, brolgas and kangaroos just to name a few, there is also a large variety of birds. Bauhinia Downs offers camping with facilities at a fee. Bookings essential contact Mr Harry Lansen through Mabunji. The property used to have hunting tours for buffalo, and barramundi fishing available. An airstrip is close to the community and the hot springs. This area is regarded by some people as the best gorge and hot water springs anywhere in the top end of Australia. The area is still very undeveloped and closed completely during the wet. |
||
| BALBARINI A very large recently bought cattle property near Heartbreak Hotel and along the banks of the MacArthur River. This is owned by a number of Traditional Families, some of whom come from Tennant Creek and the Tableland area. The property is presently destocked and the main homestead area has been abandoned due to sever flooding from the river and a massive white ant problem. The Community people have relocated to a mining camp site with some buildings across the road from Cape Crawford. | ||
| BLACK
CRAGGY A small beautiful Island inhabited by one family group, living in a new solar and wind powered home right on the beach. The people pursue fishing, crabbing and feral goats from an adjacent island. Their fresh water comes from a solar pumping system on a rebuilt early Macassan well. |
 | |
| BABUNGI An idyllic paradise location with a self built home established by an Aboriginal family. The site is just off the beach underneath beautiful shady trees and looks out across Victoria Bay on Vanderlin Island. This family have settled there, built their own water supply, and home and only come to town by boat occasionally for supplies. | ||
| COW
LAGOON The Community at Cow Lagoon have 2 new houses built around the early homestead site of old Tarwallah Station. The Aboriginal owner was originally a stockman on this Station and the surrounding area. Again the homes are solar powered and shortly the water bore will also be solar equipped. |
 | |
 |
GARANJINY
The new community housing is now being built along a beautiful deep lagoon on the Little River, situated some 120 km from Borroloola. Mr Frazer Baker runs a Cattle Property and a feral animal culling program from Garanjiny on behalf of his family and the traditional owners. Frazer has also been able to supply bait to local Fishermen for Crabbing, and is also supplying live feral animals both Interstate and Overseas. Frazer can be contacted on 89759962 or email Mabunji | |
| GOOLMINYINI In early times this settlement was set up as a place for people with leprosy, however modern medicine has meant that this disease has been eradicated. The 2 new homes are now being built along a sandy creek which has a extensive and a very deep permanent rockhole which is used for recreation and also a solar powered water supply. The rockhole was called Devil Springs, and was an early watering stopover for the large cattle drives from Queensland to the Kimberleys. |
 | |
 |
IJARI A small cattle property granted to a traditional owner of the MacArthur River Mine Site. Unfortunately this gentleman passed away recently. However in due time his family will continue to develop this property. | |
| JUNGALINA A small family group living on a excision along Browns Creek on the Queensland border. They are adjacent to Woollogorang Roadhouse along the Carpentaria Highway from Borroloola to Doomagee. |
 | |
| MILLIBUNTHURRA A recently developed Community for a Traditional Family Group situated along the MacArthur River and supplied from the 17 km water main. The people run a small cattle herd and a number of pigs in an adjacent fenced area. The current Chairperson of Mabunji lives on this Outstation. | ||
 |
MINYALINI Situated some 15 km from Borroloola with a family group presently developing a cattle enterprise on the country to the west and north of the community. This country is undeveloped Gulf bush country with roaming bands of wild horses, and during the right times, very good barramundi fishing from the local streams. | |
| MOOLOOWA One very independent family group living on a beautiful sand beach near the top of Cape Vanderlin. At times countless turtles lay their eggs in this area. Their water supply comes from permanent waterholes along the creek coming down from the higher country of Vanderlin Island. |
 | |
 |
MUMATHUMBURU The traditional owners of West Island live near the south western tip known as Crocodile Point. Even today large crocodiles have been known to come up on the beach trying to get goats penned some 50 metres up the sand dune. An area of wonderful fishing along the reefs and deeper holes. A very large population of feral goats occupy the top half of this island. | |
| NUMULTJA Situated some 220 km west of Mabunji towards Roper River and the Community lives near the Limmen Bight River on a large permanent lake called Maria Lagoon. Salt Water Crocodiles are sometimes seen in this lagoon. Solar Water and Power supplies are to be installed here shortly as this area becomes isolated in the wet season. This is the home of a famous Aboriginal Artist, Ginger Riley. |
||
 |
SANDRIDGE An area some 20 km from Borroloola being developed for a family group that have decided to move away from a larger crowded Community. A number of new houses are being constructed and they are supplied with water from a 17 km long pipeline on the eastern side of the MacArthur River and connected to the Borroloola town water supply. | |
| WANDA
NGULA An early area settled by Aboriginal people and adjacent to the lagoon, known as Police Lagoon. This was used in the earlier white settlement times by the Police for watering their horses. Presently it has a small one teacher School and a band of roving goats which love to occupy any abandoned shed and eat anything planted. This is the home of Dinny McDinny, a elderly Traditional Owner very concerned to teach children and others of the Traditional Dances including the now famous Aeroplane Dance. |
 | |
 |
WADA
WADALA Situated at the end of the 17 km pipeline along the MacArthur River this is also the home of an elderly Traditional Owner. During the Wet Season he has to move into town and stay in the Respite Centre, but cant wait to be taken back to his place away from the town. His daughter plays a very significant role in Aboriginal affairs in the town of Borroloola. | |
| WADA
WARRA A cattle property granted to a traditional owner by MacArthur River Mine for the role he played in the negotiations to develop the mine site. A very independent group who have developed and run a successful cattle enterprise and are looking towards a fishing, camping area for tourism along the northern river and sea boundary of the property. People interested in camping are advised to contact this group via Mabunji for further information. |
 | |
 |
WATHUNGA
South West Island is located 60km NE of
Borroloola in the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands about an hours
boat trip from Mule Creek which is on Bing Bong Pastoral
Lease. | |
| WURLBU A very attractive Park-like Community on the outskirts of Borroloola owned and operated by a family that like to live near Borroloola, but appreciate the quietness and privacy of out of town living. |
 | |
| YATHUNGA An area on the Eastern side of West Island where a Traditional Family Group would like to settle, and set up their home. Currenlty they are digging a well adjacent to a Spring fed soak in a sandy creek. This soak is currently used by a large herd of feral goats which are fouling the water supply. These goats will have to be controlled if the family wish to occupy the area. | ||
| YAMEERI
Yameeri is situated on Kangaroo Island. It has a dreaming. It starts on South West Island. The Baracuda came from there up the McArthur River, it came up to the point where the McArthur and the Carrington River branches off, where there was a big Coolibah Tree. This was the Barracuda Dreaming. The name of the fish is Amorcara. From there it did a dance and along from the point sort of Northwards, and it came to the lagoon Ulgulgu and did a dance there, and this is how the lagoon came to be. This dreaming belongs to all Wealya. |
 | |
| YULBARA A southern bay area on Vanderlin Island belonging to a Traditional Aboriginal Family from Borroloola. The site is presently under development with a small solar water supply and a self built accommodation occupied by one family who have a good vegetable garden and are self sufficient in regard to fishing and fresh vegetables. | ||
| UGUIE A very old Traditional Site and now developed with modern housing and solar power and a beautiful clear blue water lagoon up in the hills supplies the community and the main family have been fishing and living in the area all their lives. The houses are just back on the beach face southern sea strait between the mainland and Vanderlin Island. These living sites are like paradise and would be the envy of many a city dweller. The waters surrounding the islands abound with many species of large fish including the famous Barramundi. However swimming is not recommended due to the presence of box jellyfish, resident crocodiles and very large numbers of all types of sharks. |
||
 |
YUNGURIE Home of the Landsen Family, a Traditional Owner of a large land area around Borroloola. The Outstation is situated along the Roper Road beside the permanent water holes of Batten Creek. Gordon is well known for his landscape art of the region. He paints the special sites and describes the stories associated with these sites. His paintings are available from a Perth Art Dealer. He is also very concerned about the young people and has a great cultural knowledge he would like to pass on to the present generation. The Community hosts a small school for the area which a Borroloola based teacher drives out to each day and collects the children from the surrounding area. | |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
