Mapoon
QLD 4874 • Queensland
About Mapoon
Mapoon is a remote coastal town on the western Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, administered by the Aboriginal Shire of Mapoon and the Shire of Cook. Located approximately 88 kilometres north of Weipa and more than 900 kilometres north-west of Cairns, Mapoon sits on a vast 6,500-square-kilometre locality fronting the Gulf of Carpentaria. The 2021 Census recorded a population of 469 residents, and the community is predominantly Aboriginal, with significant social housing representing over 70 per cent of dwellings.
Mapoon has a rich and significant Indigenous cultural history, and the community maintains strong ties to country on the western Cape York Peninsula. The town faces the Coral Sea coastline and is surrounded by pristine tropical wilderness including mangroves, beaches, and remote bushland. Essential services are limited and largely provided through government and community organisations; access to the town is typically via unsealed roads or by air, and the community is largely self-contained. Mapoon represents a unique and deeply connected Aboriginal community in one of Australia's most remote and environmentally significant landscapes.
Mapoon falls under postcode 4874 and is governed by the local council Council (LGA). For state elections, residents vote in the Cook electorate.
Location
Transport & Commute
Bus Services
- No scheduled bus services — N/A N/A
Commute to Cairns
🛣️ Access is primarily by 4WD via Cape York development road or by light aircraft to Weipa then road; extremely remote
Remote Aboriginal community with no retail centre; vehicle or community transport required for all services
Supermarkets Nearby
No major supermarkets listed for this suburb.
Schools
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Red Beach Road
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Central Avenue