Kowanyama

Kowanyama is an Aboriginal community of around a 1000 people making it one of the largest communities on the Cape York Peninsula.

Kowanyama lies 25 km (as the crow flies) from the West coast on the Gulf of Carpentaria in the South-Western region of the Cape, 600 kilometres North-West of Cairns. The community is on the bank of the Magnificent Creek, which joins the South Mitchell River and in turn forms part of the Mitchell River Delta system.

Kowanyama’s Aboriginal people continue to identify strongly with their ancestral countries and with the languages, stories, songs, dances and histories associated with those countries. Language groups associated with countries in the Kowanyama region are Yir Yoront, YirrkThangalkl, Koko Bera, UwOykangand and Olkola.

The community has landholdings encompassing the Mitchell River delta and the lower reaches of the Alice River located in the south-western region of Cape York. The community comprises the direct descendants of the Aboriginal inhabitants of the lower Mitchell and Alice Rivers, and neighbouring areas now held by pastoral tenants. The Kowanyama Trust Area remains relatively untouched by growing population pressures and activities, unlike the east coast and other parts of urban and rural Australia.

Kowanyama Council has a Land and Resource Management Policy for the trust lands, which monitors wildlife populations and allow the traditional lifestyle of the Aboriginal community to be practised.

In December 2003 an alcohol management plan commenced. Kowanyama has a zero alcohol carriage limit meaning that no alcohol, home brew or home brew equipment is allowed in Kowanyama.