Looma is an Aboriginal

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....

 community about 120 km south-east of Derby

Derby, Western Australia

Derby is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, Derby had a population of 3,093. Along with Broome and Kununurra, it is one of only three towns in the Kimberley to have a population over 2,000...

 adjacent the Fitzroy River

Fitzroy River (Western Australia)

The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.-Discovery:The Fitzroy River was discovered by the West in 1837 by George Grey in the H.M.S. Beagle. The river was subsequently named by Lt J L Stokes on 26/2/1838 after Captain Robert FitzRoy R.N...

. 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,...

, Looma had a population of 393.

History

The Looma aboriginal community was originally build as accommodation for the aboriginal stock-men and their families that worked on the Camballin and Liveringa Station's during the late 1950s and 1960s. It was one of the first community of its kind in Australia. A second community was built adjacent to Looma. New Looma, approximately 2 km away, which was established after splinter groups within the community had to move due to infighting. Consequently a new community was formed with new roads, housing and water supply installed. The old community remained as is.

Education

Looma is serviced by a district High School and also has access to TAFE short courses.

Electricity supply

Electricity is fed via a feeder from the nearby Camballin power station.

Looma also has its own power station, located approximately 5 kilometres south of Looma

Water

Old Looma has two bores feeding into a high level tank. New Looma has the same arrangement with more modern infrastructure.

Sewerage

Old Looma has a sewerage pump station and ponds. New Looma pipes its waste to the Old Looma ponds.

Recreation

The community has basketball courts and a football oval.Looma fields a team in the West Kimberley Football Association

West Kimberley Football Association

The West Kimberley Football Association is an Australian rules football competition in the far North West of Western Australia.The league covers an area from Bidyadanga in the West to Derby in the East. Games are played during the day in Broome and Derby with the majority of games and all finals...

 called the 'Looma Eagles'.

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.

Other

Looma is equipped with a community radio station: Looma BRACS, 106.1 MHz (FM band), part of the Pilbara and Kimberley Aboriginal Media (PAKAM) network.

External links

• Looma Layout Plan 2 is a town plan for Looma. It was endorsed by Looma Community Inc (4 December 2007), the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley (26 March 2008), and the Western Australian Planning Commission (27 May 2008). The Layout Plan background report and map-set can be viewed at: http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/2604.asp .