Looma Aboriginal Corporation

PMB 902, Derby WA 6728 Phone: Community Office Phone: 08.9191 7767 Facsimile: 08.91914656 Email: finance@looma.org.au

Looma Community is approximately 10km from the Camballin Township and 120km from Derby in the Kimberley Region of W.A. and its homelands (Mowla Bluff, Djilimbardi, Yarri Yarri) are distributed on and to the South of the Fitzroy River.

It has an approximate Indigenous Population of up to 500, they are members of large, interrelated, extended families that shifted from stations & reserves in the 1970’s and have a cultural bond to this area. Culture & Religion has linked the people, their land and nature through the ancestral beings, the pre-existence and reincarnation of spirits, totemism, mythology and ritual. The local population has a considerable cultural diversity and express themselves aesthetically through a rich heritage of art and a wealth of songs, music and verbal “literature”.

Looma communities have approximately 60 houses, a school, childcare, clinic, store, arts centre, community workshop, CDEP workshop (Nearly 100 CDEP Participants), oval & changerooms. The community management team operates with the community council to deliver infrastructure, essential services, employment and training to community members.

Camballin

Latitude 17 59 S Longitude : 124 11 E - Camballin townsite where accommodation is located, is in the Kimberley district between Derby and Fitzroy Crossing, was gazetted a townsite in 1959. (It is about 96 kilometres south-east of Derby on Liveringa station within the Djada Land System while Looma Community is a further 10km S) The ‘Camballin’ name was selected by Northern Development Ltd in 1957, and the townsite was to service the Company's Liveringa Rice Project. Nearby Camballin township was initially established to support Northern Developments Pty. Ltd., a company incorporated in Sydney in 1951 to establish small scale rice production in 1952. In 1955, a good crop from 32 ha demonstrated that commercial rice production was feasible if water were available and the Government agreed to undertake weir works on the Fitzroy River which provided 3,360 megalitres of water.

Climate

The West Kimberley is a region described as having semi-arid to arid monsoonal climate. About 92 per cent of Camballin’s annual rainfall of 515mm occurs between November and April. Temperatures during the day are high throughout the year, particularly during November and December, the start of the “wet” season, when maxima over 40°C are frequent. Temperatures at night are also high except for the winter months of June and July when the average minimum is about 13°C. Marked seasonal contrasts in humidity, cloud cover and radiation are also characteristic.

Rainfall is the major climatic factor that limits plant growth in the region. Rainfall figures over an 18 year period indicate very little rain falls between June and October. Fifty seven per cent of Camballin’s annual rainfall is recorded in January and February. Rainfall for these two months may reach over 300mm. Evaporation in the area is relatively high. Pan evaporation varies from about 5.5 mm per day in June of the dry winter period to over 11 mm per day in December.

Vegetation

The region is distinguished by a diverse range of geographical features. From the red dune fields of the Great Sandy Desert through to the rugged escarpment country to the Fitzroy River, which is periodically characterised by dramatic flooding and tremendous water flows.

Before irrigation development, the area was described as Mitchell grass-ribbon grass pasture land, referred to locally as “frontage” or “flood plain country”, with or without scattered trees and shrubs. The principal grasses are ribbon grass, blue grass and Mitchell grass. The area is regarded as one of the richest grazing areas of the Kimberley region.

Activities

As well as the magic of the Kimberley scenery and some of the country’s best fishing, you have 4 TV channels, radio stations, football, cricket, tennis, golf (in town), Derby Speedway, Derby Outdoor Cinema, Gun Clubs and a large variety of other clubs.