The Early Years

Wenlock Outstation 1990s

The development of Chuulangun as a vibrant, viable homelands community today is testimony to the commitment and hard work of a core of Kuuku I’yu Northern Kaanju people and kin, young and old, who have struggled for recognition and strove to return to homelands on a permanent basis. Our people had to ask permission to access and live on their own traditional lands. In the late 1980s, anthropologist the late Dr Athol Chase who was conducting research at Lockhart River was approached by three Northern Kaanju Elders living in Coen, Margaret Sellars, Toby Horseboy and Tommy Silver (now deceased), about their desire to return to country and set up an ‘outstation’ on their homelands on the upper Wenlock River. After discussions with the Lockhart River Aboriginal Council, then ‘landowner’ under government law of what was called the Lockhart Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT), they obtained permission to access their country and started the process of establishing a permanent ‘outstation’. A site was chosen on sandridge country at Chuulangun on the upper Wenlock River on the bottom of an extensive lagoon system.

Northern Kaanju Elder, the Late Robert Nelson at Broken Leg Yard at Chuulangun 1990s

The community at Chuulangun, then known as ‘Wenlock Outstation’, were the first of the Kuuku I’yu Northern Kaanju families to move back permanently to country. The men and women who drove the development of the outstation were committed to and felt responsible for upholding the aspirations of their ‘Old People’ to return to country, as well as to their living kin and future generations. The move was motivated by a number of aspirations including the renewal of land management regimes such as fire management, protection and management of important cultural heritage including Story Places, and to encourage the maintenance and intergenerational transfer of Indigenous knowledge, language and land management practise. 

Considerable planning has been undertaken to ensure the reoccupation and development of the homelands is sustainable and consistent with Northern Kaanju governance and land and resource management principles. In the early years there was very little support from government for ‘decentralisation’, as government called it, yet our people struggled enthusiastically with minimal resources to rebuild a community on homelands. We used resources immediately available to us, including bush timber as well as corrugated iron supplied by neighbours at Wolverton Station with whom we had close social ties. During this early period power was supplied by generator and the only means of communication was UHF radio.

Wenlock Outstation 1990s

Up until the mid 1990s, ‘Wenlock’ was occupied mainly during the dry season as the camp is cut off by the flooded Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers and inundated country during the wet season. But the commitment to live on homelands was so strong that ‘Wenlock’ was occupied for several wet seasons under harsh conditions. One Oldfella had to swim the flooded Wenlock River and walked several kilometres to collect basic supplies from the closest airstrip at Orchid Creek Station. During one wet season residents had to attend a funeral in Coen, and to get there they built a raft from 44-gallon drums to ferry themselves and several station dogs across the flooded river. Then they traveled by foot and horse to Wolverton Station, then quad bike from Wolverton to the Archer River which was crossed by dinghy, then by 4WD vehicle to Deep Creek, where they were met by kin in another vehicle to take them to Coen. These and other instances illustrate the hardships people endured and the determination to live on homelands. Despite the difficulties experienced these ‘pioneers’ of Northern Kaanju homelands development (some of whom have now sadly passed away) recall these early years with great enthusiasm and pride.

A vision becoming a reality

In the words of one of Chuulangun’s ‘pioneers’ the late David Claudie: “We started our homelands movement at Chuulangun to use it as a hub, as an example for other homelands so they can follow”. Since the reoccupation of our homelands in the late 1980s we have been planning for the sustainable development of our community at Chuulangun. In order to live and work on country we need housing, reliable access to health and medical services, food and supplies all year round, a power supply and communications. In 2002 descendants of George Moreton Snr living on homelands at Chuulangun established the Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation for the purpose of helping to realise these aspirations. Over the years we have prepared many plans and strategies that examine homelands development planning, funding and the aspirations of our people to live and work on Ngaachi.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Chuulangun community with airstrip in background 2022

From the mid to late 1990s, a number of buildings were constructed at Chuulangun including galvanized iron sheds on concrete slabs with bush timber and iron extensions for housing. Water for drinking, kitchen, laundry use and bathing was and continues to be pumped from the nearby ‘Chuula’ lagoon to a number of feeder tanks that service the community. During this early period power was supplied by diesel and petrol run generators. Some of this early infrastructure was possible due to the support of the Coen Regional Aboriginal Corpoation and funding from the then Queensland Department of Community Services and the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).

Since 2002, Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation has secured funding from a range of grant programs for infrastructure including for the construction of ‘donga’ style housing to accommodate rangers and staff working on the Kaanju Ngaachi Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). Unfortunately, since the demise of ATSIC there have been no dedicated grant programs for homelands development, so securing funding for housing and other essential community infrastructure has and continues to be a challenge.

AIRSTRIP AND ACCESS

Due to the remoteness of Chuulangun, in the early years we struggled with problems of access to essential services, particularly during the wet season. In the mid 1990s, David Claudie (dec.) discussed with his Old People the most suitable location for an airstrip and he walked out and surveyed the airstrip on foot. Later, in 1999, pioneer work was done on the Chuulangun airstrip and an area of 1300m x 100m was cleared, but much work was needed for the airstrip to meet the requirements of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). This early work was made possible by the planning and initiative of Chuulangun residents and with funding from ATSIC’s Wishlist program.

Meeting the mail plane on the Chuulangun airstrip 2012

From 2002 Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation sought funds from competitive grant programs for completion of the work on the Chuulangun airstrip. Finally in late 2005 we received grant funds from the then Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services Regional Partnerships Program and the Queensland Government’s Rural and Remote Airport Development Program. After considerable planning, coordination and on-ground effort from the Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation and the Chuulangun community, the Chuulangun aerodrome was constructed to CASA guidelines for aerodromes intended for small aeroplane operations.

The completed airstrip means reliability of access for the community all year round to emergency medical attention through the RFDS, the delivery of mail, fresh food supplies, educational materials, and access to air travel via the Remote Air Service Subsidy Scheme (RASS). Over the years we have applied for and secured funding from the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program to ensure the airstrip is maintained to standard. Chuulangun receives the mail plane weekly under the RASS which enables the community to live on homelands all year round.

POWER SUPPLY

Solar arrays on Chuulangun RE system

In December 2004, a Bushlight Household Renewable Energy (RE) System was installed for one household as the family lived at Chuulangun all year round. The system was established under the Bushlight Program and funded through the former ATSIC. Prior to the establishment of the Bushlight System the community at Chuulangun relied completely on diesel and petrol run generators that were costly due to the fuel consumption and maintenance required. Five years after the installation of the household system, Bushlight undertook planning with the Chuulangun community to upgrade to a community system to accommodate additional houses, ranger workshed and the ranger office.  The new community system was installed in September 2010 and is now owned by Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation.  In 2016 we upgraded the system with the addition of a diesel back-up generator with the assistance of a grant from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund. In 2021 we self-funded the replacement of the solar controllers and in 2023 the inverter was replaced and lightening rods installed around the community with a grant from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund Super Round.

COMMUNICATIONS

The community phone at Chuulangun was installed in 2010

In 2000, a landline telephone for communication and satellite dish were installed for free-to-air television and radio stations. Our telephone communications has been upgraded with the installation of satellite telecommunications system which will support up to four phone lines. Over the years there have been vast improvements in internet communications from having to send emails by telephone from 2002, to costly and slow satellite internet capability with limited 20mb plans under Broadband satellite from 2004, to faster speeds and larger plans under NBN Skymuster from 2015.

In 2010, a community phone was installed at Chuulangun under the former Commonwealth Indigenous Communications Program. In 2013, wifi internet was also set up on the community phone for community use. These communication facilities and services have been very important for the growth and safety of our community, and to the work of the Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation. The telephone and internet access in particular have been integral to our organisation’s activities as the majority of transactions have to be done digitally due to our isolation. With advances in technology we now have reliable high speed internet with unlimited plans via the Starlink network. This has vastly improved communications for work purposes and distance education which is conducted mainly online. Only ten years ago, such high speed unlimited internet was beyond our wildest dreams.