Palm Island, Queensland

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Palm Island Queensland
Palm Island, North Queensland
Population:	2,086 (2001 census)
Postcode:	4816
Time zone:	UTC+10 (UTC)
Location:	57 km from Townsville (S) 46 km from Ingham (W) 224 km from Cairns (N) [1]
LGA:	Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council
State District:	Townsville
Federal Division:	Herbert

Palm Island (or Great Palm Island) is an island and community 65 km north-east of Townsville, on the east coast of Queensland, Australia. At 64 km², Palm Island is the main island of the Greater Palm group, and consists of small bays, sandy beaches and steep forested hills rising to a peak of 548 metres.^[2] Neighbouring islands outside the Palm group include Rattlesnake Island, which is currently used for RAAF bombing, and Magnetic Island.

Palm Island is often termed a classic "tropical paradise" given its natural endowments, but it has had a troubled history since the European settlement of Australia.^[3] For much of the twentieth century it was used by the Queensland Government as a virtual penal settlement for Aboriginals considered guilty of such infractions as being "disruptive", being pregnant to a white man or being born with "mixed blood".^[4]

The community created by this history has been beset by many problems over the years and has often been the discussion point of political and social commentators. Since it's creation as an Aboriginal reserve, Palm Island has been considered synonymous with indigenous disadvantage and violence.^[5] At the same time it has been at the forefront of political activism which has sought to improve the conditions and treatment of Australia's Indigenous people as well as redress the self evident injustices so often visited on them.^[3] Of significant concern on the island is a lack of jobs and housing.^[6]

Contents 1 History 1.1 'Penal settlement' 1920s-60s 1.2 World War 2 Catalina Airbase 1.3 'Aboriginal natives shall be counted' 1967-1985 1.4 'Path to self governance' 1986 - present 2 Notable events 2.1 Kukamunburra remains returned 2.2 Guinness Book of Records controversy 2.3 Legal action in relation to pearl farming 2.4 2004 death in custody controversy and riot 3 Geography 4 Natural environment and cyclones 5 Governance 6 Economy 6.1 Land title 7 Law and order 8 Demographics 9 Sports 10 Infrastructure 11 Health 12 References 13 External links 13.1 Articles produced by The Brisbane Institute

[edit] History

The island was named by explorer Captain Cook in 1770. It is estimated that the population of the island at the time of Cook's visit was about 200 Manbarra people but by the end of the 19th century it had been reduced to about 50, apparently because from the 1850s many had been recruited to leave the island to be involved with bêche-de-mer and pearling enterprises with Europeans.^[7][8] In 1909 the Chief Protector of Aborigines visited the Island, apparently to check on the activities of Japanese pearling crews in the area, and reported the existence of a small camp of Aborigines.

[edit] 'Penal settlement' 1920s-60s

See also: Hull River Aboriginal Settlement

In 1914 a Government Aboriginal settlement was established on the Hull River near Mission Beach on the Australian mainland but, on 10 March 1918, the structures were destroyed by a cyclone and never rebuilt. Subsequently, the settlement relocated to Palm Island with the new population referred to as the Bwgcolman people. In the first two decades of its establishment 1,630 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from different groups all over the country were relocated to Palm.^[9]

Since the early 1920s Palm Island has been the largest of the Government Aboriginal settlements. Administrators found its location particularly attractive as Aboriginal people could be isolated, but Palm Island quickly gained a reputation amongst Aborigines as a penal settlement.^[2] They were removed from all parts of the state as punishment; being "disruptive", falling pregnant to a white man or being born with "mixed blood" were included in infringements which could lead to the penalty of being sent to Palm Island.^[4] New arrivals came after being sentenced by a court, or released from prison or were sent by administrators of other missions wishing to weed out their more ill-mannered Aboriginals.^[8] These removals to the Palm Island Mission continued until the late 1960s.

When they were moved to Palm Island, all children were separated from their parents and then segregated by gender.^[10] Aborigines were forbidden to speak their language and from going into "white" zones.^[11] A local doctor in the 1930s, highlighting malnutrition on the island, demanded that the Government triple rations for the islanders and that children be provided with fruit juice, the request was denied.^[12]

A bell tower was built to dictate the running of the mission. It would ring each morning at eight; a signal for everyone to line up for parade in the mission square. Those who failed to line up had their food allocation cut. At nine each evening the bell would ring again signalling the shutting down of the island’s electricity. The Bell tower still stands in the local square to this day, a relic of Palm's penal history.^[5] It was recorded at the time that there was almost military-like discipline in the segregation between white and black, and that inmates "were treated as rather dull retarded children".^[13]

In 1927 a hospital was built at nearby Fantome Island and many Aborigines were sent there, mainly for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. In 1936 Fantome Island became a medical clearing station where all people sent to Palm Island were examined and treated if necessary, and a leprosarium was established in 1939. After the war the hospital was closed, and by 1965 only the leprosarium remained to be administered by a Roman Catholic nursing order until 1973 when the inhabitants were moved to Palm Island.

All Islanders were required to work 30 hours each week, up to the 1960s no wages were paid for this work.^[13] Seven families were banished from the Palm Island in 1957 for taking part in a strike organised to protest against working conditions, which were described as Dickensian, imposed by the Queensland Government under the reserve system. Included in those banished from the Island was Cathy Freeman's mother, Cecilia Barber.^[4]

The administrators had complete and unaccountable control over the lives of residents. For example on an official visit in the late 1960s Senator Jim Keeffe and academic Henry Reynolds on a surprise inspection of the Palm Island Prison came across two 12-13 year old schoolgirls incarcerated by the superintendent, (the senior administrator on the island) because "they swore at the teacher."^[14] Punishments also included the shaving of girls heads.^[13]

[edit] World War 2 Catalina Airbase

Palm Island has many isolated areas, one of which is Wallaby Point. This area contains numerous submerged and visible remains of Catalina flying boats. In 1943 the US Navy built a naval air station at Palm Island. The 55th Seabee Construction Battalion created a 1000-person camp and would house twelve flying boats, store 60,000 gallons of fuel, and repair an average of four aircraft per day. The remains of the steel rails and some planes can still be seen today.^[15]

[edit] 'Aboriginal natives shall be counted' 1967-1985

In 1967 the whole of Australia had a referendum to remove from the Australian Constitution the phrases; "the people of any race, other than the Aboriginal race in any State" (jurisdiction of the Australian Government) and "Aboriginal natives shall not be counted" (for statistical purposes). The referendum attracted a record 90 per cent favourable vote, of 44 attempts it is one of only eight successful amendments to the Constitution. This was seen in Australia to be a turning point for Indigenous Australians and their relationship with Government and the broader community.

Further information: Australian referendum, 1967 (Aboriginals)

In 1985 (then) Associate Professor of Sociology Paul Wilson published a criminological analysis of criminal statistics over the period of January 1977 to May 1984 (averaged over the period). The data is demonstrated in the below table.^[16]

Estimated Violence Rates Per 100 000 people
1976/77 to 1981/82

	Aboriginal Communities	Queensland	Palm Island
Homicide	39.6	6.15	94.3
Serious Assault	226.1	45.9	929.9

Mr. Wilson considered these figures to be a gross underestimation of the true rate as the Palm Island figures (provided by the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Legal Aid Office) were only counting cases that went to court, whereas the Queensland rates (provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics) were based on reported incidents. Over this period, the Palm Island figures demonstrated that 86% of all cases of violence involved the offender having heavy drinking patterns and in the majority of cases the victim was also drinking. 38% of incidences involved people who were married or in a de facto relationship (90% of these offenders were male).^[16] Mr. Wilson attributed the extreme crime rates to; the historical, social, economic, housing, educational, "alcohol culture" (not drinking being perceived to be antisocial) and employment circumstances of Palm Island and the destruction and disorganization of society and traditional culture/structures. He sites research rejecting an Aboriginal propensity for violence and contrasts the Aurukun community where no homicides had been recorded in the period from the 1950s.^[17]

At the time alcohol was limited to beer sold in the canteen between the hours of 5pm and 9pm. Spirits were banned however there was a flourishing sly-grog trade.^[17]

[edit] 'Path to self governance' 1986 - present

In 26 October 1986 ownership of the island was transferred to a newly formed Palm Island Community Council under a Deed of Grant in Trust from the Queensland government.^[18]

In 1999 the Queensland Government gave $7,000 to each Palm Islander claimant to compensate for underpaid wages between 1975 and 1986. The Government also apologised to former government employees of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island descent.^[19] The payment was ordered by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in a case first brought to the Commission by seven Palm Islanders in 1986.^[20]

Self-appointed "president" of Palm Island Jeremy Geia symbolically declared independence from Australia for the "Peoples Democratic Republic of Palm Island" in 2001 stemming from grievances against the Australian and Queensland Governments for neglect of Palm Islanders.^[21] There were concerns at the time that this activism would interfere in a major Government investigation into sexual abuse that was being conducted, by making victims too uncomfortable to come to the mainland for examination.^[22]

The Palm Island Community Council became the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council in 2004 under the Queensland Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act. Like the other Aboriginal Shire Councils that were created, this Act gave the Council full status as a Local Government on a par with other Councils in Queensland.

[edit] Notable events

[edit] Kukamunburra remains returned

A burial site and headstone is located in the "Mission" area of Palm Island. It tells the story of a young Palm Island man of the 19th Century called Kukamunburra who was renamed "Tambo" by a circus agent for the "Barnum, Bailey and Hutchinson's Greatest show on earth". He was toured along with eight other Murris, three of which were from Hinchinbrook Island and six from Palm. In 1884 Kukamunburra died at 21 years old of pneumonia in Cleveland, United States of America. The rest of the circus group carried on to the European leg of the tour, by the end of 1885 only three of the Murris were still alive.^[23][24]

Kukamunburra's body was embalmed and in 1993, some 109 years later, was found in a local funeral parlour. His remains were returned to his homeland and buried on Palm Island in February 1994.^[23][24]

[edit] Guinness Book of Records controversy

The 1999 edition of the Guinness Book of Records brought Palm Island international attention when it named the island the most violent place on earth outside a combat zone. To support this claim it stated statistics such as a murder rate 15 times higher than that of the entire state of Queensland, a life expectancy of 40 years, the highest rate of youth suicide per capita in the world, and a total of 40 suicide fatalities over a period of only 5 years.^[25] These figures were strongly disputed by the Queensland Government, the Police Commissioner and the Palm Island Community Council.^[26] However, it was conceded by the Queensland Aboriginal Policy Minister, Judy Spence, that Palm Island "can be violent at times", particularly for women and children, but that the situation was being improved.^[25]

The Australian newspaper hypothesised that the Guinness Book of Records statement was based on a report in The Sunday Times of London.^[25] The article in The Sunday Times stated that Palm Island had one of the highest crime rates in the world and that "boys ride bareback on horses through the near-derelict civic centre as infants ambush passing cars with slingshots."^[27] It also made several statements about violence statistics on Palm Island and stated that "the white overseers" left the island in 1985 removing most of the island's assets and resources, only allowing a pub to remain. The Sunday Times also claimed that as many as 30 people live in each house, without sufficient drinking water.^[27]

[edit] Legal action in relation to pearl farming

Zen Pearls Pty Ltd and Indian Pacific Pearls Pty Ltd (both controlled by Michael Crimp) established pearl farms in 1998 with the permission of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority^[28] (which controls the sea waters around the islands), despite the opposition of, at least some, of the people of Palm Island.^[29] On 24 September 1998 the Manbarra elders passed a resolution opposing the farms on the basis of "the historical and cultural significance of the Juno Bay site for both the Manbarra and Bwgcolman Peoples, the sense of trespass on traditional ownership rights, concerns that the cultural connection to the area would slip away and a strong feeling that the provision of a small number of employment opportunities offered by the pearling operations would not adequately compensate the damage to cultural values."^[30]

Subsequently the Park Authority refused to extend the pearl farming permits and Crimp took action before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to have this decision reversed. On 15 March 2004 the Tribunal agreed that the permits should be terminated but allowed the existing pearling operations to continue to 1 December 2005.^[31] This decision was substantially upheld by the Federal Court on 21 October 2004.^[32]

[edit] 2004 death in custody controversy and riot

Main article: 2004 Palm Island death in custody

Australian Aboriginal Palm Island resident, Mulrunji (known as Cameron Doomadgee while alive), aged 36, died at about 11:20am on Friday 19 November 2004 in a police cell on Palm Island, one hour after being picked up for allegedly causing a public nuisance by the arresting officer, Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley.^[33] The family of the deceased were informed by the Coroner that the death was the result of "an intra-abdominal haemorrhage caused by a ruptured liver and portal vein".^[33]

On Friday 26 November 2004 the results of the autopsy report were read to a public meeting by then Palm Island Council Chairwoman Erykah Kyle. A succession of angry young Aboriginal men subsequently spoke to the crowd and encouraged immediate action be taken against the police. Mulrunji's death was repeatedly branded "cold-blooded murder", and a riot erupted.^[33] The local courthouse, police station and police barracks were burned down and 18 local police and their families were forced to withdraw and barricade themselves in the hospital. Later the same day approximately 80 additional police from Townsville and Cairns were flown to Palm to restore order.^[33]

In April 2005, in response to the riot, Premier Beattie established the Palm Island Select Committee to investigate issues leading to the riot and other problems. Their report was tabled on 25 August 2005, detailing 65 recommendations which seek to reduce violence and overcrowding, and improve standards of education and health. In achieving these objectives, issues such as drug and alcohol abuse and unemployment would also be addressed.^[34]

In late September 2006, coroner Christine Clements found that Doomadgee was killed as a result of punches by Sergeant Hurley.^[35] Despite the finding of the coroner, Leanne Clare, the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), announced on 14 December 2006 that no charges would be laid.^[36] After several days of media and public pressure, Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Sir Laurence Street, was selected to review the decision not to charge Senior Sergeant Hurley over the death of Mulrunji.^[37] The review resulted in the overturning of the DPP's decision, with Street finding there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Hurley with manslaughter.^[38]

[edit] Geography

Palm Island is nearly twice the size of Norfolk Island and of a similar size to Magnetic Island.^[6][5]

Topographically, the island is dominated by Mount Bentley and Mount Lindsay and is covered by rainforest (other than a small section cleared for the settlement and airstrip). The settlement is spread over three locations; Butler (Surrumbroo), Coolgood and Coolgaree Bays. The Palm Island airstrip straddles the breadth of land between Butler (Surrumbroo) Bay and Casement Bay.^[39][40][41]

The waters surrounding Palm Island include Challenger (Gowyarowa) Bay, between Palm, Curacoa (Noogoo) and Fantome Islands. Other bays surrounding the island include Barber, Bullumbooroo, Cannon (Numbullabudgee) Mundy, North East, Numbullabudgee and Onion Bay. There are three man-made bodies of fresh water on the Island, including Bamboo Dam at the peak of Mount Bentley.^[39][40][41]

Nearby micro-islands are Barber Island (Boodthean), Brisk Island (Culgarool), Dido Rock, Eclipse Island (Garoogubbeo), Esk Island (Soopun), Falcon Island (Carbooroo), Hayman Rock and White Rock. Major nearby islands are Curacoa Island (Noogoo), Fantome Island, Orpheus Island (Goolboddi), Havannah Island and Pelorus Island (North Palm Island, Yanooa).^[39][40][41]

[edit] Natural environment and cyclones

Palm Island's rich volcanic soil supports tropical flora such as mangroves, eucalypt forest, rainforests, hoop pine, mango, banana, pawpaw and wild plum trees.^[3][5] The surrounding bays have a diverse marine fauna including coral trout, crayfish and coral reefs.^[3]There has been significant dumping of car bodies and other environmental pollution on the island.

There are several hundred brumbies on the island which are considered to be community-owned.^[42] Many of them have been tortured, starved to death, and beaten by local teenagers. A local Aboriginal, Wayne Coolwell, has been quoted as saying "I don't like to accuse my own people of things like this, but it's self-evident … and cruelty is cruelty, and when you see the photographs and you hear the stories, there's obviously a real problem on that island."^[43]

As an island in North Queensland, Palm Island is vulnerable to cyclones. In March 1997 Cyclone Justin passed over the Cairns coastline and remained near Palm Island causing a great deal of flash flooding. Peaking at Category 4, at landfall it was a Category 2 cyclone. Overall it caused significant damage in the Cairns region during its relatively long, 3½ week life.

In April 2000 category 2 Cyclone Tessi passed directly over Palm Island, but caused little damage.^[44]

[edit] Governance

Local Government on the island is provided by the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council,^[45] created under the Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act (2004). Previously, Palm Islands was an Aboriginal council without the same powers as other Queensland Shire Councils. Final transition to full Shire Council status was due in January 2007.^[46] The Shire's core business is the provision of housing, it recently conducted an audit of its houses and the people living in them; the audit found that 120 new homes were needed, however the Council primarily relies on income from rent and Government subsidies and from this can only aford to build one or two new houses a year.^[6] The current Mayor of Palm Island is Delena Oui-Foster who was elected in a by-election on 16 December 2006.^[47]

Palm Island falls in the federal Division of Herbert and the state seat of Townsville.^[48][49] Peter Lindsay (Liberal Party of Australia) is the Federal Member and Mike Reynolds (Australian Labor Party) is the State Member.

Peter Lindsay has claimed that Palm Island is a hopelessly dysfunctional community and that either the Island economy/landholdings should be main streamed or the Indigenous population should be relocated to the mainland. The Palm Island Council and Mike Reynolds reacted with outrage calling the idea racist and lacking any form of cultural competency, the Queensland Government has ruled out any forced relocation.^[50]

[edit] Economy

There is no freehold land title on Palm Island, all property is owned by either the Local or State Government. More than 90 per cent of the adult population depends on welfare. There is no industry on the island despite rich natural resources such as crayfish worth $150 each and enormous tourism potential.^[3]

Carpentaria Land Council chief executive Brad Foster in 2004 summarised their economic standing thus; "This island has 4000 residents, and the services applicable to a community with 500 people. That has to change and businesses have to be able to invest here, make profits, employ and train locals — get part of the real world." ^[3]

There are many failed or abandoned ventures on the Island, the relics of which are still there; a piggery, chicken farm, disused stockyards, market garden and a joinery works.^[3]

A presently abandoned oyster farm is an example of one of the failed ventures on Palm Island. The natural environment of Palm Island and adjacent Halifax Bay is ideal for the aquaculture of oysters, shrimp, prawns and mackerel. Over a five year period in the 1970's Applied Ecology Pty Ltd (an organisation designed to assist Aboriginal communities to develop sustainable industries, funded by the Government) established a oyster lease on Palm Island. At one point the lease had $600,000 worth of oysters. Unfortunately due to alleged poor management and lack of interest among the community the oyster lease fell into disrepair.^[51] The farm is purported to have cost $20 million.^[3]

Research by the Centre for Tropical Urban and Regional Planning at James Cook University has concluded that Palm Island has most of the resources it needs to be largely self-sufficient through housing, agriculture and tourism. However Barry Moyle the Chief Executive Officer of the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council and former Mayor of Johnstone Shire Council suggests that the tourism potential of the island is hindered by the negative reputation that Palm Island is considered to have. Mr. Moyle asserts that once potential tourists get past that negative image they will find some really nice and beautiful people, with a rich culture, living on this untouched tropical gem of North Queensland. It could be considered a big ask that people will get past the perception that the people are all no-hoper alcoholics and perpetrators of domestic violence, which is considered to be the general reputation that Palm Islanders have in broader Australia. Locals say that there are bad eggs, but that is the same in all communities.^[6]

[edit] Land title

Native Title claims do not apply to most residents as they are not the original inhabitants of the land, the general community (Bwgcolman people) do have a strong historical connection to the land, most having been born there. Having historical (as opposed to traditional) rights recognised is a legally grey area. Free hold title does not apply either; most land is controlled by the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council. The land is held by the Council for the benefit of the community in trust, through a "Deed of Grant in Trust" (DOGIT). This in practice means that, for example, a third party would not be able to lease and develop land on Palm Island without the permission of the community and even then leases are limited to 30 years. Approval to build a house or start a business can take up to three years.^[6]

A basic three bedroom house costs approximately $350,000 to $400,000 to build on Palm Island (not including sewerage, power, phone and water, and the cost of the land).^[6] Federal Minister Mal Brough has stated that building prices on Palm (or in indigenous communities in general) are over inflated and that it could be done for half the price it is currently costing.^[6] All homes are on crown land and are owned by the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council and are rented at a Government-subsidised rate of $44 to $60 a week to residents.^[5][6] There are 320 rental houses under this arrangement.^[6] Most businesses are owned by the Council and some consider that Palm Island is not an attractive marketplace in which to invest because of the restrictions to the free trade of land. ^[6]

There is widespread frustration with the current system. Privatising home ownership and the creation of a more attractive business environment (a market economy) with long term leases is seen by some as the best option to move forward on Palm. This proposal is described as giving Indigenous people "skin in the game" and empowerment. In the period 1999 to 2007 35 houses were replaced due to damage. Noel Pearson of the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership argues that housing degradation in these communities has more to do with overcrowding and poor construction than it does with poor tenancy. However he adds that Aboriginal people naturally take much better care of property that they have constructed or paid for themselves, than they do that which has been handed to them 'on a plate' and which they have had little personal engagement in. The push for privatisation of title has been lead by the Australian Government (through Mal Brough, Indigenous Affairs Minister), Noel Pearson, and some families on the island (the community is very devided on this issue), the proposal has partial (or cautious) support from the Federal Australian Labor Party Opposition.^[6]

However other Islanders are suspicious of these moves as a opportunity for the more powerful families to gain more power through land ownership or even worse a way of taking land off the Palm Islanders, who in desperation may sell to the highest bidding developer even if that bid significantly undervalues the land in question.^[6] Professor Mick Dodson, director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies at the ANU, argues that the people on Palm Island do not have the financial capacity to compete in the housing market on a commercial basis and the only solution to the current problem of overcrowding lies in increasing the level of public housing, there are not the jobs to build capacity among locals to become home owners.^[6]

There is an alternative options under the push for privatising landholdings that addresses fears of the land being lost from the community; A closed market system where caveats are placed on the 99 year leases which restrict ownership to members of the community. This would mean that land could be bought and sold but only to Palm Islanders.^[6] It is unclear whether this arrangement would allow for mortgages as the banks who give the loans are external to the community and would require security for their loan that they can legally collect.

Another issue which makes this debate complex is the traditional ownership of the Manbarra people, there is no current registered Native Title claim and there are very few traditional owners left, however there is widely held belief that there would be a valid claim. Professor Dodson argues that the historical international experience is that once communal title is extinguished than the indigenous people lose the land permanently. Minister Brough argues that 100 year leases will not extinguish Native Title over the land.^[6]

The Queensland Government, who have constitutional responsibility for Land Tenure hold the position that this issue is extremely complex and that their Government will not be bullied by the Commonwealth. The State Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Warren Pitt, has stated that all parties have matured since Native Title was introduced and can recognise that while the issues are complex, the betterment of Aboriginal people can be realised. The Queensland Government is expected to make a 'significant announcement' by July 2007.^[6]

[edit] Law and order

Palm Island has an extreme level of theft, domestic violence, sexual assaults against children and abject drunkenness.^[3] This behaviour is attributed locally to boredom, aimlessness, lack of education, absence of role models and a complete loss of self-worth.^[3] Another important factor is bitter family divisions which rule the social fabric of the island and a complex web of historical disputes between those families, some going back many decades.^[3][5] Criminologist Dr Paul Wilson found Palm Island to have one of the highest rates of violent crime anywhere in the world. He suggested that the problems could be tied to repression of the past and colonial practices.^[52] In the December 2004 to December 2005 period there were 76 admissions to the hospital for assault involving residents, 26 times the standard Queensland rate.^[5]

These figures do not necessarily reflect the war like violence that is commonly associated with Palm Island, St Michael's Catholic School Principal, Lil Mirtl, has stated that people visiting or living on the Island just need to take sensible precautions such as not walking alone at night, similar to precautions that people should exercise in most places.^[5] There are many programs that have and are being implemented to reduce the high levels of crime.

The Palm Island Community Justice Group has existed since 1992, it is a committee of elders on the island who, it is said, have far more influence over young offenders on the island than the police or courts.^[53] The Justice group has a statutory role within the judicial system in administering justice on the island.^[54] The group is funded by the Queensland Government to administer the program, created in response to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, with the aim of keeping indigenous children on Palm out of the criminal justice system. Under the program the Palm Island community is encouraged to devise their own systems for dealing with offenders. In the three years after the Community Justice Group was established, Palm Island juveniles appearing before magistrates courts fell by a third.^[53] Police and the courts often refer offenders to the Community Justice Group.^[53]

"These older ones have the wisdom and knowledge, and they can sit around the table and talk, and bring feuding parties together... When they come before us they can't bluff us, because it's black on black." Peena Geia, Chairwoman of the Community Justice Group, 2001^[55]

In December 2001 the Community Justice Group assisted a five day investigation by a team of Queensland police and Department of Families officers. The investigation discretely collected information from Islanders about suspected child sexual abuse in the community,^[56] resulting in a number of arrests.^[57] The investigation was accompanied by a serious of allegations suggesting that almost 100% of girls between 13 and 16 years old had contracted sexually transmitted diseases. It was also alleged that girls as young as 12 had been trading sex for cigarettes and alcohol and that children as young as five were being molested.^[56]

The Men's Group is coordinated by former Mayor Robert Blackley, it runs a prison cell visitors program, a support service, and a children's night patrol.^[6]

The Coolgaree nippers club is the first indigenous club in Surf Lifesaving Queensland; Coolgaree is affiliated to Arcadian surf lifesaving club in the first year of the nippers club operating (1999) juvenile crime rates on Palm Island dropped from 186 offences to 99.^[58] In 2000, the Palm Island council used a $40,000 State Government to establish a community-run re-orientation program for youths to help reduce youth crime and suicide, by relocating wayward youths to a new youth and cultural camp where they would be taught their culture, language and art on neighbouring Fantome Island, a former leprosarium.^[59]

Tony Fitzgerald QC investigated alcohol abuse in indigenous communities and was shocked by the extent of the State-wide problem.^[60] He recommended to the Queensland Government that unless things improved dramatically within a period of three years than alcohol should be banned in consultation with the communities.^[60] Like many community councils (in 2001)^[60] the Palm Island community council relied on revenue generated by alcohol sales at the community canteen, the investigation report recommended this perceived conflict of interest end.^{[citation needed]}

The Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy commissioned a further report in 2005^[61] and, as a result of its recommendations, the islands in the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council became the 19th Queensland community^[62] to become a restricted area for possession of alcohol from 19 June 2006. These restrictions include a limit of one carton of beer disembarking from the ferry service.^[63] Other than that alcohol is available from the Palm Island Hotel, for either on site consumption or on a retail basis. Alcohol sales from the canteen are again restricted to one carton per person, or per vehicle.^[64]

[edit] Demographics

At the 2001 census Palm Island had 2,086 residents, with an overwhelming majority of 93.3% of indigenous origin.^[65] However, there are various conflicting estimates of the population size; 3,000-3,500 residents is a figure which has been regularly quoted by local, state and federal politicians.^[66][5] There is also controversy over the common practice of referring to Palm Island as the largest Indigenous community in Australia, with census figures from 2001 showing the Yarrabah community as slightly larger.^[66]

The indigenous population generally identify with either the Bwgcolman or Manbarra people.^[2] Compared with other parts of Australia, the Palm Island community is young with 36% under 15 and only 5.7% over 55. Over half the population (52.4%) describe themselves as Roman Catholic with most of the remainder either Anglican or other Protestant.^[65]

The community, consisting of some 42 mainland and Torres Strait Islander clan or family groups, suffers from chronic alcohol, drug and domestic abuse, has an unemployment rate of 90% and an average life expectancy of 50 years, thirty less than the national average.^[67][68]

The 2006 census was conducted on 8 August of that year; unlike mainstream Australia, Palm Island figures will not be based on forms filled out by each household on census evening. Instead Palm Island was singled out for the population to be verbally interviewed individually over a ten day period due to past controversy about the accuracy of census details for Palm Island. Between ten and fifteen Indigenous census interviewers took the households' details from one 'responsible adult' from each house, interviews took between an hour and an hour and a half each and were conducted during business hours.^[69]

[edit] Sports

Amongst the many sporting activities on Palm Island, boxing features prominently (both men's and women's), with many young Palm Islanders representing Queensland at national boxing championships.^[70] The Barracudas are the local rugby league team, with Vern Daisy as a notable ex-player. In June 2005 the inaugural 3 on 3 Basketball competition was held, attracting over 300 locals.^[71]

Many of the sporting activities are actively supported by or managed through the Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) Centre where there is a gym for the boxers. The Centre was opened by the Premier in February 2005 over strong community objections due to animosity towards the Queensland Police following the November 2004 death in custody and the Police response to the subsequent riot.^[72] Having moved on from the dispute between the State Government and the Palm Island Council over who should run the facility,^[73] the situation is now very positive and cooperative, the PCYC Centre is used for its intended purpose of youth and community engagement through sport and education. Adults also use the facility heavily including for women's aerobics, ballroom dancing, Indoor Volleyball, 5 on 5 Indoor Soccer, Old-time Dancing, and a mix of conventional and traditional games.^[74][71][75]

[edit] Infrastructure

Palm Island has no urban planning to speak of (most of the town has not been surveyed), although they officially have names there are no street signs or even traffic signs which are standard on most other Queensland roads. The settlement itself does not even have a name (it is called Palm Island, the Mission, Palm Island Settlement or Palm Community by default).^[6]

The island has two schools; St Michael's Catholic School (Prep to grade 7) and the Bwgcolman Community School (Prep to Grade 10). The community school includes Bwgcolman Community Library which is jointly managed and funded by the Council and State Government.^[76] The Community School has 350 students with 50 indigenous and 27 non-indigenous staff.^[77] Palm Island, like most Aboriginal communities, has difficulties with school attendance, the Principal of St. Michael's has stated that absenteeism averages about 30% among their 160 students.^[5] A 2005 test at Bwgcolman school (leaked to Qweekend) showed that primary school students score "significantly less" than Queensland average in literacy and numeracy.^[5] St Michael's have a program of teaching students "dainty" (Australian English) as a third language in addition to the communally spoken "island English" and the particular language group that the child happens to come from.^[5]

Other facilities operated by the State Government on the island include a hospital, the Police Citizens Youth Centre, a sewage treatment plant, a local supermarket and (new) police station and courthouse.^[78][6] At the supermarket Bread costs approximately $4.20 a loaf at the supermarket, about twice the average in Australia.^[5]

The Police Citizens Youth Centre is considered to be a great success story, especially considering its controversial beginnings soon after the 2004 death in custody and riot. The Centre is mostly staffed by community members who teach the younger generation both traditional and life skills such as weaving and cooking in a safe and comfortable environment. The Centre has an atmosphere of respect and traditional culture which tries to build children's confidence and self-esteem. Additionally to the sporting activities, the Centre hosts community growth projects, services and facilities such as a radio service (Bwgcolman Radio), an Internet Café, TAFE cooking classes, after-school and vacation care, monthly discos, Family Movie Nights, and Bingo.^[74][71][75] The PCYC employs a paid staff of nine locals and one volunteer.^[71]

The Palm Island Council currently operates the Palm Island Hotel (also known as the Coolgaree Bay Hotel), the community's only outlet with a liquor license.^[5] The Council also owns various local services and businesses such as the garage and the Commonwealth Bank agency.^[6]

Private retail enterprise on the Island is limited to a butcher, a fish-and-chip shop, a clothes shop, the Post Office and a BP service station that sells petrol at about $.50 a litre more than Townsville.^[78][5][6] Non-Government services which are standard for population bases of this size in Australia and are absent on Palm Island include a baker, hairdresser and newsagent.^[5]

In 2004 the army completed $10 million worth of work constructing permanent water-supply dam on the island and upgrading a number of roads.^[3]. Other transport infrastructure includes an airport on the South-West of the Island from which Inland Pacific Air flies to and from Townsville up to four times each day. Palm Island's pier is in Challenger Bay, a ferry-boat service makes a return trip from Townsville three times a week. A barge service operates weekly from Lucinda bringing food, machinery and fuel to the island.

Transport on Palm Island is primarily walking with relatively few private cars on the island, in 2005 the PCYC, with Queensland Transport, purchased a 23 seat community bus which now runs a school bus service in addition to transport to PCYC events.^[71]

[edit] Health

A report tabled in the Queensland Parliament on 21 April 2006 claimed that conditions at Palm Island resembled those of a third world country.^[79][61]

Palm Island is serviced by the Joyce Palmer Health Service based at the Palm Island Hospital, which has an emergency department and a 15-bed general ward, and was completed in 2000. The facility is named for Joyce Palmer, a health worker who commenced her work in the 1940's at the Island's old grass hospital, and provided health care to the people of Palm Island for over 40 years. The hospital provides a primary level of acute care services and provides many secondary services such as community health, X-ray, ambulance, pharmacy, dental, child health, mental health, sexual health, and antenatal and specialist clinics. There are two doctors based on Palm Island. Critical patients are stabilised and transferred to Townsville Hospital by Royal Flying Doctors Service or the Air Sea Rescue.^[80]

In 1979 an outbreak of hepatoenteritis, known as the Palm Island mystery disease, was reported and described a hepatitis-like illness (associated in many cases with dehydration and bloody diarrhoea) in 138 children and 10 adults of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.^[81][82] This was caused by the addition of excessive doses of copper sulfate to the water supply of Solomon Dam to target a cyanobacteria bloom of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. The excessive dosing was following the use of least-cost contractors to control the algae, who were unqualified in the field.^[83]

Further information: hepatoenteritis

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Bwgcolmacom Community School website
• Local Council information
• Palm Island PCYC webpage
• "Palm Island: Future Directions" January 2006 report commissioned by the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy
• Database of Agreements to which the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council are parties
• Joyce Palmer Health Service webpage
• Dunn, Peter "WW2 Palm Island naval base" Australia @ War, 22 May 2004 (and updated since)
• Queensland Government information webpage on Palm Island and alcohol management
• Queensland Government information webpage on Community Renewal on Palm Island
• Queensland Government map of alcohol restriction zone
• Australian Government Shared Responsibility Agreement - Palm Island our horses, our responsibility

[edit] Articles produced by The Brisbane Institute

• The Brisbane Institute - Lessons from Palm Island Article 17 November 2005
• Boe, Andrew "Palm Island: something is very wrong" The Brisbane Institute 21 April 2005
• Boe, Andrew "Palm Island Inquest findings – the unacceptable political inertia" The Brisbane Institute 06 October 2006

Coordinates: 18°44′S, 146°35′E