A brief introduction to Cape York, Australia

Introduction

The Cape York region is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. The opportunities for improvement are identified by people living there. They have offered their perspectives to help form this design brief, enhance your educational experience and cultural understanding. The challenges described are real issues for the people living in this community. Just as in real life, there are likely to be multiple possible solutions and you have the freedom to lead the direction of your project

Community

Cape York is home to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have the longest living continuous cultural history of any group of people on Earth, and are the “Traditional Owners” or “First Nations” people of Australia.

This is your opportunity to explore the remote areas of the Cape York Peninsula, and learn about this amazing culture. In Cape York, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are spread across over 100 clan groups and numerous language groups and dialects. Remoteness and large travel distances are common for life on Cape York, with many activities revolving around the wet, monsoonal season and the dry, bushfire season.

Colonial History

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Cape York suffered terribly as a result of the colonisation of Australia by the British in 1788. A genocide occurred at the hands of violent frontier wars, introducing disease and displacement at the hands of pastoralism, mining and missionaries. People are still impacted by this tragedy today. The current generation is actively returning to Country, the traditional land of their ancestors, to look after the land and rebuild the cultural landscape.

Respect and Inclusivity

“Reconciliation” means acknowledging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the First People of Australia and recognising the injustices from colonisation. As part of reconciliation, using respectful and inclusive language and terminology is important. Language can impact attitudes, relationships and understandings. The way reconciliation is talked about is just as important as the way people act.

There are guidelines and recommendations when exploring the lives and designing for Aboriginal communities. See more information in the inclusivity resources section of this website.

CfAT - Centre for Appropriate Technology

This year, the Engineering for People Design Challenge is delivered in collaboration with the CfAT, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander controlled not-for-profit organisation which “exists to support people in regional and remote Australia in the choices they make in order to maintain their relationship with Country”. Maintaining a relationship may include a desire to live on, protect, visit and develop Country for economic benefit. CfAT achieves this by providing solutions to infrastructure challenges that people face in maintaining their relationship with Country, primarily: reliable power, water supply, digital connectivity, built infrastructure, training and skills development. CfAT believes the current rapidly emerging Indigneous land management sector is a new opportunity to support Indigenous people to continue the revival and protection of the world’s oldest continuous culture. To do this, Appropriate Technology and engineering solutions are needed to help people to live and thrive.