[2][3] Pormpuraaw[4] is an Aboriginal community situated on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula approximately halfway between Karumba and Weipa on the Edward River.

Pormpuraaw has been successful in developing a commercial crocodile farm, a cattle operation and some tourism.

[7] The settlement was formed at the tip of Cape York Peninsula after a recommendation from the Queensland Governor Sir George Bowen that it would be a favourable location for a harbour of refuge and a well-positioned international trading port.

[7] Frank and Alexander Jardine overlanded a herd of cattle to establish a pastoral station near Somerset to supply the settlement with meat.

The natives at first stood up courageously, but either by accident or through fear, despair or stupidity, they got huddled in a heap, in, and at the margin of the water, when ten carbines poured volley after volley into them from all directions, killing and wounding with every shot with very little return… About thirty being killed.’"After this fatal encounter, the Jardine brothers continued north, crossing the Coleman and Edward rivers and on to Somerset.

[11] Native Police camps were established at Highbury in 1885 and in Coen in 1888, which helped European settlement advance further into Cape York.

The river was surveyed again in 1886, with a view to establishing a town to service the recently formed pastoral stations.

[15] Securing a grant from the Queensland Government, Gilbert White (the first Bishop of the Diocese of Carpentaria), turned to Ernest Gribble for help in establishing a mission at Mitchell River.

[17] In 1905, Gribble, Bishop White and their staff established a permanent mission at Mitchell River.

[21] Chapman was keen to extend the missionary influence to the Edward River, to block attempts to have the area thrown open to pastoral selection.

In 1939, Joseph Chapman returned to the Edward River to establish a permanent mission station.

[26] Under the Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897, which granted the Home Secretary the power "to cause Aboriginals within any district to be removed to and kept within the limits of any reserve situated in the same or any other district";[27] there were 11 recorded removals from Edward River Mission to Palm Island.

In 1950, a school was constructed at the Edward River Mission, and Reverend Brown commenced service as the teacher.

[34][35][36][37] In January 1952, the mission was hit by a cyclone and every building except the superintendent’s house was either blown down or badly damaged.

[40] By 1964, cattle-raising was the main industry of the mission, which was run by Aboriginal stockmen supervised by head stockman, Jim Kendall.

[42] In 1958, the southern part of the Aurukun reserve was added to the Edward River reserve, after an agreement was reached between the Presbyterian Church (which ran the Aurukun Mission) and the Anglican Church (which ran the Edward River Mission).

The Act conferred local government type powers and responsibilities upon Aboriginal councils for the first time.

[49] She explores the people's ability to always know where true North lies, as well as the effect of this directional understanding on the language.

[56][57] There is a women's refuge called Pormpur Paanthu, meaning "women's house", which was established in 1991/1992 after cousins Myrtle Foote and May Ballie lobbied the council, having been taking in female victims of domestic violence into their homes for some time previously.

In October 2020 the two women won the Local Government Association of Queensland's inaugural Alison Woolla Memorial Award.

The award was named after Wik woman Alison Woolla, first female mayor of Aurukun.

Fresh fruit, vegetables and milk come in weekly via truck during the dry and plane during the wet season.

This Wikipedia article contains material from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community histories: Pormpuraaw.