Cherbourg

About Cherbourg

Location

Cherbourg, formerly known as Barambah, is located in the South Burnett district of south-east Queensland.

Languages

According to the 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census data, English is the only language spoken at the Cherbourg community. However, people at Cherbourg tend to speak what has been termed ‘Cherbourg Home Language’ or ‘Cherbourg Talk’, which is a dialect derived from Aboriginal and Creole languages spoken in the past and the English language which was imposed on them once they were removed to Cherbourg. The dialect of Cherbourg Talk may be difficult to understand for those unfamiliar with it. The use of an interpreter may be necessary to assist complainants, witnesses, victims and offenders who come before the courts.

History of Cherbourg

Cherbourg facts and figures

For 2011 and 2016 census information on education, employment, income, housing figures and more for Cherbourg, build a statistical profile on Know Your Community.

Native title information

Search for native title information on the National Native Title Tribunal website.

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Visiting Cherbourg

Getting to Cherbourg

Cherbourg Aboriginal community is situated 6 kilometres from Murgon in the South Burnett region, approximately a 3 hour drive north west of Brisbane. It is bounded by Murgon Shire and is also located in close proximity to the Shires of Wondai and Kilkivan. The main access road to Cherbourg community is Cherbourg Road, which is a right turn off the Bunya Highway and about 1 kilometre from Murgon on the road to Goomeri. A helicopter landing pad is also located within Cherbourg in Barambah Avenue. The township of Kingaroy hosts an airstrip which services the Wide Bay-Burnett communities with daily flights from Brisbane.

Seasonal considerations

There are no seasonal considerations for visiting Cherbourg.

Alcohol restrictions

Alcohol restrictions apply in Cherbourg.

Local government

Search the local government directory for information about the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council.

Who to contact if you have questions about your visit

Sorry business

A death at Cherbourg impacts on the entire community and, quite often, main services within the community will close down for a short period following the news of a passing of a community member and during the day of the funeral. The impact of a death in the community can be traumatic and have lasting effects on both the people of Cherbourg, and the neighbouring communities. It is not uncommon for family, friends and associates of the deceased to travel from many different communities to attend the funeral. Essential services such as policing, child safety, health, education and justice will continue throughout this period; however, it is common to have difficulty contacting community members during the mourning period.

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Community justice group

The role of the Community Justice Group (CJG) is to ensure that clients of the service are given appropriate cultural support for court matters. The CJG also provides cultural reports to the courts at sentencing and bail applications, assistance to the courts in managing community-based offences, and networking to implement crime prevention initiatives.

Members of the CJG work closely with a number of justice agencies including the Queensland Magistrates Court, Department of Corrective Services, Queensland Police Service, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service. The CJG works to support the community’s understanding of and access to the justice system by working in conjunction with Shire Council by-laws and victim support agencies.

Key ways the CJG is able to assist the community and the courts include:

participation in community consultations relevant to the CJG’s role within the criminal justice sector
preparation and presentation of written and oral sentencing submissions to the court
defendant support and referral (including court support)
victim support and referral (including court support)
support for debtors wishing to access the State Penalties and Enforcement Registry.

For more information about your local Community Justice Group: