Shire of Mornington (Queensland)

The Shire of Mornington is a local government area in northwestern Queensland, Australia. The shire covers the Wellesley Islands, which includes Mornington Island; the South Wellesley Islands; Bountiful Islands; and West Wellesley / Forsyth Islands groups in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The administrative centre of the shire is the township of Gununa on Mornington Island.
In the, the Shire of Mornington had a population of 1,025 people.

History

The shire includes the traditional lands of a number of Aboriginal Australian peoples.
The shire was formed in 1978 when the Queensland Government decided to take control of the islands over from the Uniting Church of Australia. The local community objected, and asked the Australian federal government to help overturn this decision. After negotiations, it was agreed that the community would become self-governing under a so-called "local government" model.

The Shire Council covers 26 islands, which make up the Wellesley Islands, South Wellesley Islands, Bountiful Islands and Forsyth Islands groups.
The area has abundant flora and fauna, including tea trees, mangroves and sea oaks. The beaches are filled with a variety of marine life, including turtles and the endangered dugong. It is a fishing and diving locale with beaches and an emphasis on ecotourism.

The islands of the shire are inhabited by the Lardil, Yangkaal, Kaiadilt and Gangalidda peoples. An Australian Aboriginal language, Lardil, is spoken on Mornington Island and on the Northern Wellesley Islands, all within the Mornington Shire. Another Australian Aboriginal language, Yukulta, is spoken in the Gulf Country, which includes the local government areas of the Aboriginal Shire of Doomadgee and Shire of Mornington.
In the, the Shire of Mornington had a population of 934 people, of whom 88.2% were Indigenous.
In the, the Shire of Mornington had a population of 1,032 people.
In the, the Shire of Mornington had a population of 1,142 people.
In the, the Shire of Mornington had a population of 1,143 people, of whom 86.1% were Indigenous Australians.
In the, the Shire of Mornington had a population of 1,025 people.

The Mornington Shire Council does not operate any public libraries.