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

• read the recent history of Cherbourg
• visit the Ration Shed Museum.

Cherbourg facts and figures

Key social indicators from the 2016 Census for the Cherbourg community include:

• 16.5% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 years and over had completed year 12 or equivalent
• 28.7% of households with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were overcrowded.

The following figures are from the 2011 Census and will be updated later in 2017:

• 60.5% of dependent children in families with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were from jobless families
• 36.0% unemployment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 to 64 years
• 40.1% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 to 64 years worked in the Public administration and safety industry.

For more 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

Cherbourg Principal Project Officer (Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships)

Phone: 07 4169 5952 (Cherbourg office) or 07 4125 9366 (Hervey Bay office)
Mobile: 0472 862 907

Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council

Phone: 07 4168 1866
Fax: 07 4168 2727
Email: ceo[at]cherbourg.qld.gov.au

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.

The local CJG for Cherbourg is:

Barambah Local Justice Group
3 Fisher Street, Cherbourg, 4605
PO Box 175 Murgon 4605

Contact:
Ms Indra Matzner or Aunty Emma Stewart

Phone: 07 4168 1190
Fax: 07 4168 3977
Mobile: 0488 116 499
Email: bljig[at]burnett.net.au

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Community services

Use the Queensland Government's one place service directory to find up-to-date contact information for local support services including:

• legal advice and support services
• youth justice and support groups
• domestic and family violence support
• drug and alcohol services
• mens' and women's groups
• accident, emergency and medical services

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More information

• Equal Treatment Benchbook (Supreme Court Library Queensland)
• Information about the development of the justice resources

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