Palumpa

History

Nganmarriyanga is an Aboriginal community that was originally established as Palumpa, the name of an adjoining cattle station. This station was established after the Second World War to provide supplies to nearby communities, including Wadeye. Its name was changed from Palumpa at the request of the Community Council. It was founded by the Wodidj family, which left the area after a period of initial contact with white Australian settlers before World War II. They left the area, with the men seeking work on cattle stations in northern Western Australia, returning to the nearby Port Keats Mission (now Wadeye) after the war. They then moved to the present location and started building the community. They cut timber, built fences, dug trenches to pipe water from the creeks, and ran cattle which were sold to people at nearby communities. During the 1980s the population of Palumpa grew, and in 1985 Palumpa Community Inc. was formed as a local governing body, and raised funds for building infrastructure.

Most-observed species

• Magpie Goose

  Anseranas semipalmata (Latham, 1798) · Aves
  235
• Water Buffalo (Feral)

  Bubalus bubalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Mammalia
  24
• Bluestem

  Andropogon gayanus Kunth · Liliopsida
  7
• Rainbow Bee-eater

  Merops ornatus Latham, 1801 · Aves
  4
• Black-necked Stork

  Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  3
• wild boar

  Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 · Mammalia
  3
• giant frog

  Ranoidea australis (Gray, 1842) · Amphibia
  2
• Australian Rocket Frog

  Litoria nasuta (Gray, 1842) · Amphibia
  2

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2004-09-25
  96 km S of Wadeye, Australia