1. History
    Mission establishment  Coronial inquest into Aboriginal deaths  Child sex investigation 

2. Closure

3. Access

4. Notes

5. References

6. External links

History

Mission establishment

The Anglican Forrest River Mission for Aborigines was founded in 1896–97 by Harold Hale but was abandoned after a few months. A permanent mission, known as the Forrest River Mission, was established on the site in 1913 by the bishop of the north west, the Rt. Rev. Gerard Trower. In December 1913, Anglican priest Ernest Gribble took charge, three years after he was forced to resign as superintendent at Yarrabah. Gribble remained as superintendent until the early 1930s.

In 1926 the mission was plagued by an influenza epidemic and impacted by the Forrest River massacre where police killed a number of Aboriginal people. This event remains controversial.

The mission was closed in 1969, after the 1967 Aboriginal referendum.

In 1973, fifty Aboriginal people decided to resettle their abandoned tribal land and rename it Oombulgurri. Within a year, the population had grown to 200. Infrastructure and welfare programs were set up in the 1970s and 1980s to provide the residents with basic amenities and to allow the town to become self-sufficient.

Coronial inquest into Aboriginal deaths

In 2007 a coronial inquiry began into Aboriginal deaths in the Kimberley, including five in Oombulgurri.^[4][5][6][7] It revealed high levels of alcohol abuse, suicide and child neglect in Oombulgurri. Some time after the inquest, alcohol was banned there.^[9]

Child sex investigation

A Police task force operation sheepshank began after a report was compiled on an alleged paedophile ring at the Aboriginal community of Kalumburu, in the Kimberley resulting in arrests of three men and a juvenile from Oombulgurri.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Closure

In October 2010, the government of Western Australia announced plans to close the community of Oombulgurri, as its population had decreased from 150 to less than 50.^[12] In February 2011, the government was reportedly considering a number of proposals about the community's future once all the residents had moved out, including converting it into a tourism retreat or a juvenile justice facility.^[3] On 1 March 2011, the community's only store was dismantled and removed by boat. As of 2 March 2011, only seven residents still remained in Oombulgurri.^[13] Shortly before Christmas of 2011, the remaining residents were relocated to Wyndham.^[1] In 2014 the state government's plan to demolish most of the buildings at the site was opposed by former residents.^[14]

Access

Oombulgurri is only reliably accessible by boat or by air, as the unsealed road leading to the town is washed out most of the year due to the wet season. There is an airstrip nearby for light aircraft.^[14]

Notes

References

• Book review of related books. Retrieved 9 November 2005
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050614070334/http://www.lookingwest.communitydevelopment.wa.gov.au/pdf/05e_k.pdf Western Australian education records summary (pdf)]. Retrieved 9 November 2005
• Guide to indigenous records(pdf file). Retrieved 9 November 2005
• Wyndham/Oombulgurri parish. Retrieved 10 November 2005
• Aboriginal Lands trust estate (pdf file). Retrieved 10 November 2005
• Community development program. Retrieved 10 November 2005

External links

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051116121355/http://www.quadrant.org.au/php/archive_details_list.php?article_id=501 More information about massacre]

• Diane Blackstock
• Diane Bracalente
• Diane Brewster
• Diane Brimble
• Diane B. Snelling
• Diane Burroughs
• Diane Butcher
• Diane Carey
• Diane Carol Sherbloom
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• Diane Coyle
• Diane Crespo
• Diane D'Aquila
• Diane Darcy
• Diane Davidson
• Diane D. Denish
• Diane de Foix
• Diane de france
• Diane Deleeuw
• Diane Denish
• Diane de Poitier
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• Diane Di Prima
• Diane di prima
• Diane DiPrima