| Beagle Bay Community Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 Beagle Bay church | |
  Beagle Bay Community | |
| Coordinates | 16°58′44″S122°39′58″E / 16.979°S 122.666°E /-16.979; 122.666 |
| Population | 307 (UCL2021)[1] |
| Postcode(s) | 6725 |
| Time zone | AWST (UTC+8) |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Broome |
| State electorate(s) | Kimberley |
| Federal division(s) | Durack |
Beagle Bay is a medium-sizedAboriginal community on the western side of theDampier Peninsula, north ofBroome in theKimberley region ofWestern Australia. Beagle Bay was named in 1838 by John Clements Wickham, captain ofHMS Beagle.
The community is situated adjacent to theIndian Ocean. Beagle Bay is the gateway to communities further north such asDjarindjin,Lombadina,Bobieding andArdyaloon.[2] The main access road from Broome is unpaved and so becomes inaccessible during thewet season, although it remains connected to other towns on the peninsula to the north by a bitumenised road.
The community was established byTrappist monks around 1890.[3] Beagle Bay has a history of caring forstolen children. In 1884, the first priest arrived to serve the Catholics in the Kimberley, and to try to convert the Aboriginal people. BishopMatthew Gibney founded the Beagle Bay mission, developed in the land of theNyul Nyul people; this became a site for the Aboriginal people in 1890.
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The first Catholic school was established by the Trappist Fathers at Beagle Bay in 1892. In 1895, the Trappist monks ofSept-Fons in France extended their missionary work from Beagle Bay to Broome.
In 1901,Pallottine fathers from Germany took over the Beagle Bay Mission with two priests and four brothers. In 1907, the St John of God Sisters began to run a mission school at Beagle Bay and in 1918 the famous church was opened.[4][5] It features a pearl shell altar which is now a tourist attraction. The Beagle Bay Mission subsequently became home to Indigenous people from across the Kimberley and further afield. Lawman and artistButcher Joe Nangan lived and worked at the mission from around 1920 to the 1960s.
In her autobiography,Last Truck Out,Betty Lockyer recalls the Beagle Bay mission in the 1940s as a "Garden of Eden", in which;[6]
the men had their jobs to do, each going to their own workplace, whether it was the bakery, gardens or checking the windmills. The women stayed at home to look after the babies and little ones ... There was no such thing as idle hands.
Author and ethnographerDaisy Bates began her life's work at Beagle Bay Mission in the early 1900s.[a][b]
Beagle Bay Community has a school, Sacred Heart School, which caters for students from ages K-10. The school was established in 1892 by the Trappist monks.
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Electricity is generated and supplied locally byHorizon Power and comprises the Australian standard three phase 415/240 volts system 24 hours a day. There are frequent power surges and interruptions.
There are two bores which pump into the ground tank. A transfer pump station then pumps the water into the high level tank.
Beagle Bay's church was built by interned local Germans during World War I, and officially opened in 1917. It is famous for its interior decorated withmother of pearl,cowrie,volute andolive snail shells.[13]
The church was a filming location for the 2009 musicalBran Nue Dae.
The community has a functioning cemetery. As per Aboriginal custom it is insensitive to mention thename of deceased persons. The Shire of Broome Health Regulations stipulate that bodies must be buried at least six feet below ground level; however, this cannot be achieved at the Beagle Bay cemetery because the ground water level is too high.
There is a sewer system in place in the community which comprises three pump stations and treatment ponds on the eastern outskirts of the community.
The community has basketball courts and anAustralian rules football oval. Beagle Bay fields a team in theWest Kimberley Football Association called the "Beagle Bay (Peninsular) Bombers".
Bush walking, some fishing and camping are the dominant pursuits for tourists visiting. Visitors are required to apply for a permit prior to entering the Community.
There is one store in town owned and operated by Outback Stores on behalf of the local Community. All items are very expensive compared to major centres.There is also a locally owned and operated bakery/takeaway.Mechanical repairs may be effected at the mechanical workshop.
The community is managed through its incorporated body, Beagle Bay Futures Indigenous Corporation, incorporated under theAboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976 on 17/04/2014.
Beagle Bay Layout Plan No. 1 has been prepared in accordance with State Planning Policy 3.2 (Aboriginal Settlements). Layout Plan No. 1 was endorsed by the community on 15 November 2012 and theWestern Australian Planning Commission on 28 May 2013. The Layout Plan map-set and background report can be viewed at Planning Western Australia official site.[14][15]
