Karumba, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Karumba is a town in the Gulf Country
region of Queensland
, Australia
, 71 km by road from Normanton
and 2159 km from the state capital, Brisbane
. The settlement was previously known as Norman Mouth and Kimberely. Karumba was used by the local aborigines to describe the place. This name was officially used for the township by the 1880s.
Karumba forms part of Carpentaria Shire Council
, the administrative headquarters of which is in Normanton. At the 2006 census
, Karumba had a population of 518.
The town is sited at the mouth of the Norman River
, and enjoys the distinction of being the only town along the southern Gulf of Carpentaria
that is within sight of the Gulf itself (the Gulf's extensive tidal flats prohibits settlement elsewhere along its shore). As such, the town's economy revolves largely around fishing. The Karumba port services the Century Zinc Mine as well as fishing. The prawn industry expanded in the 1960s.
The rare Morning Glory cloud
rolls through Karumba in the early hours of some mornings in September and October.
In the late 1930s the town was a refueling and maintenance stop for the flying boat
s of the Qantas Empire Airways
.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
song Animal Bar from their 2006 album Stadium Arcadium
is about Karumba. It is named after a bar called the Animal Bar.
Gulf Country
The Gulf Country is the name given to the region of woodland and savanna grassland surrounding the Gulf of Carpentaria in north western Queensland and eastern Northern Territory on the north coast of Australia...
region of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 71 km by road from Normanton
Normanton, Queensland
-External links:****...
and 2159 km from the state capital, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. The settlement was previously known as Norman Mouth and Kimberely. Karumba was used by the local aborigines to describe the place. This name was officially used for the township by the 1880s.
Karumba forms part of Carpentaria Shire Council
Carpentaria Shire Council
The Shire of Carpentaria is a Local Government Area located in Far North Queensland, Australia on the Gulf of Carpentaria, for which it is named.It covers an area of , and has existed as a local government entity since 1883...
, the administrative headquarters of which is in Normanton. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Karumba had a population of 518.
The town is sited at the mouth of the Norman River
Norman River
The Norman River is a river in Queensland, Australia. The river originates in the Gregory Range 200 km southeast of Croydon, Queensland and flows 420 km northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is joined by three major tributaries, the Carron, Clara and Yappar Rivers...
, and enjoys the distinction of being the only town along the southern Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
that is within sight of the Gulf itself (the Gulf's extensive tidal flats prohibits settlement elsewhere along its shore). As such, the town's economy revolves largely around fishing. The Karumba port services the Century Zinc Mine as well as fishing. The prawn industry expanded in the 1960s.
The rare Morning Glory cloud
Morning glory cloud
The Morning Glory cloud is a rare meteorological phenomenon occasionally observed in different locations around the world. The southern part of Northern Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria is the only known location where it can be predicted and observed on a more or less regular basis. The settlement...
rolls through Karumba in the early hours of some mornings in September and October.
In the late 1930s the town was a refueling and maintenance stop for the flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s of the Qantas Empire Airways
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
song Animal Bar from their 2006 album Stadium Arcadium
Stadium Arcadium
Stadium Arcadium is the ninth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released on May 9, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records. The album produced five singles: "Dani California", "Tell Me Baby", "Snow ", "Desecration Smile", and "Hump de Bump"...
is about Karumba. It is named after a bar called the Animal Bar.
External links
- University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Karumba
- morningglorycloud.com has video of the Gulf of Carpentaria region and the Morning Glory Cloud
- Carpentaria Shire Council homepage
- General information from the Sydney Morning Herald