Bamaga
is the largest township north of Jardine River.
Being the largest community, it is the adminstrative
centre of NPA.
As opposed to the neighbouring Injinoo
and Umagico, it is not
an
Aboriginal, but a Torres
Strait islander community.
Originally it was a community of Saibai islanders -
right from the northernmost Torres Strait.
Like all the communities up here, there is not much especially for
travellers. But I don't think there has to be.
Just stopping and
spending
some time in the
mainland
Australia's largest islander community is interesting
enough if it's your first time experience.
There are
mostly the practical
reasons like the supermarket, the tavern
and the resort (now called the Cape York
Peninsula Lodge), there is also a nice bakery
- but at
a closer look there are also some things to see.
Particularly monuments - if you
are a keen plaque reader, there is some interesting things to read, and
it helps to know a bit of the local history.
Aboriginal
History
The whole area north of Jardine River used to be Aboriginal land
divided between five semi nomadic tribes that at one stage settled where
Injinoo is today. The whole area was the land of Injinoo people,
including what was called Ichuru
- the place where Bamaga is today.
Second
World War History
Then
came the Second World War. Australia was the next Japanese target after
PNG, and northern Australia obviously was the first front, with
northern Cape York peninsula being a busy war zone. Today
there
are many different relics and monuments.
Saibai
Islander History
But
Ichuru was still Injinoo land, even after the WWII. It was about five
years after the end of the war as Saibai islanders got flooding and
freshwater problems back home, and the Injinoo Aboriginal people kindly
let them move in. That started Bamaga and Seisia.
Bamaga
Tavern
Across the street from the supermarket, Bamaga Tavern is the only
pub in the NPA, and it has had a nice facelift in the
recent years.
The public bar renovated and
colourful, and the bistro,
as before, serving big meals.
Bamaga Resort
Bamaga Resort is now called the Cape York Peninsula Lodge, there are
hotel rooms as well as cabins on the grounds next to Mosby Creek.
But the main thing for us
locals, is the Lodge Restaurant,
which has a buffet night a week, plus an a la carte menu with some
healthiest and least fatty choices in the NPA.
You might like to enjoy a night of this on your travels :-)
Bamaga
Bakery
But a great place for lunch - right in the main street - is the
Bamaga Bakery.
Over the years it's been called the Bamaga Bakehouse, See Hop, and
Bernie's Kai
Kai, and now that Bernie is back in town, so are her famous local
crayfish pies :-)
Aboriginal
History
The
whole NPA (Northern Peninsula
Area) used to be Aboriginal land divided between five semi
nomadic tribes - Atambaya,
Anggamuthi, Yadaigana, Gudang and Wuthathi. The tribes fought a fair
bit, but at one stage a group of people from different tribes came to
peace and decided
to settle where Injinoo
is today.
The whole area was the land of
Injinoo people before, during and after the WWII,
including Ichuru -
the place where Bamaga is today.
Second
World War
History
Then
came the Second World
War. The First World War didn't reach Australia,
Australians fought
over in Europe. But the WWII did come to Australia, which was the next
Japanese target after PNG. Northern Australia obviously was the first
front, particularly the Top End of Northern Territory and Cape York
peninsula.
Horn
Island was the second most bombed base after Darwin, so the tip of Cape
York peninsula was a busy battle field. Today there are many air plane wrecks
around the town, along with fuel dumps and other remnants.
Just like Horn
Island,
Bamaga also got its air
strip during the war, which today still is a working airport.
At the airport, there is also
a monument for Jackey
Jackey - the Aboriginal friend of Edmund Kennedy and the
only survivor of the Kennedy expedition, after whom the airfield was
named.
And there
is another monument
for a small passenger
plane that in May 2005 left this airport for Cairns, but crashed
above Lockhart.
Saibai
Islander
History
Only 8km
south of Papua New Guinea, Saibai
Island is an Australian island, just like all other Torres
Strait islands. It may look fairly big on the map but is largely
uninhabitable beacuse
of lots of swamplands and flooded areas.
After the WWII some particularly
bad floods
coinsided with Saibai soldiers returning from the war, telling the
locals that there may be a solution if they move to the tip of
Australian mainland.
The Saibai leader, Bamaga Ginau, made
the decision after a meeting to relocate to the mainland for the safety
of their future generations. In 1946, two luggers were bought, to take
the leader and a few families of
first settlers
to the tip of Cape York.
After asking permission from Injinoo people, they first settled at
Mutee Head, while better places were found and built. In 1949, just
after they found Bamaga, the leader Bamaga
Ginau became sick
and was taken to Thursday
Island hospital, where he passed away.
I don't have to mention how the township got its name!
As the housing was
gradually built most families moved slowly from Mutee
Head to Bamaga. In 1954 most
housing was
completed and more people also arrived from Saibai Island.
Today, with a mixed population
of about 800, it is the largest of all the communities in
the NPA.
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how to deal with the national
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This site uses British
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Disclaimer:
Although
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website is correct, this site is not to be blamed should there be a
mistake.
This is the ORIGINAL Cape York Travel Guide run Locally on the Peninsula.