Looma is an Aboriginal community about 120 km south-east of

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

adjacent the Fitzroy River in the

Kimberley region The Kimberley is the northernmost of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy Desert, Great Sandy and Tanami Desert, Tanami deserts in t ...

of Western Australia. At the 2011 census, Looma had a population of 374.

History

The Looma Aboriginal community was originally built as accommodation for the Aboriginal stockmen and their families who worked on the Camballin and

Liveringa Liveringa or Liveringa Station, often referred to as Upper Liveringa Station, is a pastoral lease in Western Australia that once operated as a sheep station but presently operates as a cattle station. Description Situated about south east of ...

Stations during the late 1950s and 1960s. It was one of the first communities of its kind in Australia. A second community, "New Looma", was built approximately 2 km south, 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 Remote Community School is serviced by a district high school and also has access to

TAFE Technical and further education or simply TAFE () is the common name in Australia for vocational education, as a subset of tertiary education. TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational courses. Colloquially also known ...

short courses.

Facilities

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 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.

Health

Looma has a community nursing post.

Town planning

Looma Layout Plan No.2 was prepared in accordance with State Planning Policy 3.2 Aboriginal Settlements and was endorsed by the community in 2007 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 WAPC f ...

in 2008. The layout plan map-set and background report can be viewed at the Department of Planning Lands and Heritage web site.

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.

References

{{Towns Kimberley WA Aboriginal communities in Kimberley (Western Australia)