Carpentaria Shire
Located on the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Gulf Country, the Shire of Carpentaria covers an area of 64,121 square kilometres. It encompasses the homelands of indigenous groups from the Thaayore on Cape York Peninsula to the Kukatj and Minjim on the Gulf's southern shores—Yir Yoront, Kunjen, Koko-Bera, Koknar, Kurtjar, Walangama, Mayi-Kulan, Mayi-Yapi, and Mayi-Kutuna. Its two main population centres — the fishing port Karumba and the administrative centre of Normanton —are located on the Norman River.
The shire has existed as a local government entity since 1883 when the previous Doonmunya Division, one of seventy-four entities established under the Divisional Boards Act 1879, was abolished, and a new Carpentaria Division replaced it. Since the distance to the new Division's administrative centre in Normanton was deemed to be too great, new Divisions (Cloncurryu, 1884) and Burke (1885) were excised from Carpentaria Division, which became the Shire of Carpentaria at the end of March 1903.
In 2005, Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw Aboriginal communities, previously administered under a Deed of Grant in Trust by community councils since the mid-1980s while remaining within Carpentaria Shire's boundaries, were formally excised and given a new status as separate entities.
The Shire of Carpentaria includes the following settlements:
Normanton (pop 1,100)
Karumba (pop 518)
Carpentaria
Fielding
Howitt
Maramie
Savannah
Stokes
Yagoonya
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire_of_Carpentaria
