Mount Margaret Community (formerly Mount Margaret Mission) is a medium-sized Aboriginal community 20 km south west of Laverton in the Goldfields-Esperance region of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, within the

Shire of Laverton The Shire of Laverton is a local government area in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, about northeast of the city of Kalgoorlie and about east-northeast of the state capital, Perth. The Shire covers an area of , and its s ...

. The community is managed through its incorporated body, Aboriginal Movement for Outback Survival Aboriginal Corporation, incorporated under the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976 on 12 September 1997.

History

The site of the community that is now Mount Margaret was founded as a mission by the

United Aborigines Mission The United Aborigines Mission (UAM) (also known as UAM Ministries, United Aborigines' Mission (Australia), and United Aborigines' Mission of Australia) was one of the largest missions in Australia, having dozens of missionaries and stations, and c ...

in 1921, and soon drew Aboriginal people from surrounding areas. By 1928, after the mission became the central rationing station for the whole district, the WA Government moved the Mount Margaret mission further east. The process of establishing formal independence from the United Aborigines Mission was concluded in 1976, with the Aboriginal Movement for Outback Survival Aboriginal Corporation, an association formed by past and present Mount Margaret residents taking over responsibility for the community. The hospital building has been assessed for heritage value.

Native title

The community is located within the registered Nyalpa Pirniku (WAD91/2019)

native title Aboriginal title is a common law doctrine that the land rights of indigenous peoples to customary tenure persist after the assumption of sovereignty under settler colonialism. The requirements of proof for the recognition of aboriginal title, ...

claim area.

Education

Children of school age at Mount Margaret attend The Mount Margaret Remote Community School. The school caters for K to Year 7. Aboriginal English is the first language of most of the students, but there are some small cohorts for whom

Ngaanyatjarra The Ngaanyatjarra, also known (along with the Pini) as the Nana, are an Indigenous Australian cultural group of Western Australia. They are located in the Goldfields-Esperance region, as well as Northern Territory. Language Ngaanyatjarra is a ...

or Wangkatha is their first language. The traditional language, Wangkatha, is taught as a subject. The large school playground is enhanced by mature trees and neat garden and lawn areas. The students share the responsibility for maintaining the environment.

Town planning

Mt Margaret 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 14 August 2001 and the

Western Australian Planning Commission The Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) is an independent statutory authority of the Government of Western Australia that exists to coordinate strategic and statutory planning for future urban, rural and regional land use. The authori ...

on 9 October 2001.The Layout Plan map-set can be viewed at https://www.dplh.wa.gov.au/information-and-services/state-planning/aboriginal-communities/aboriginal-community-maps/layout-plans

Notes

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External links

Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations

Native Title Claimant application summary

Mount Margaret School
Aboriginal communities in Goldfields-Esperance