The nature and extent of Aboriginal participation in the regional economy can be greatly affected by the spatial distribution and residential structure of the population. One way of depicting this distribution has already been presented using IAs (Table 2.4) which shows that almost two-thirds of the Aboriginal population in the Northern East Kimberley (64%) is located in one of the three urban centres—an increase on the estimated 54% in 1981. This compares to 73% of the non-Indigenous population, a proportion that would be higher if those resident at the Argyle mine site were to be included. While there appears to have been a shift over time towards more urban residence, there is a problem in reading too much into this trend as the particular census geographic units employed here mask the considerable diversity of residential circumstances of Aboriginal people within the region.
Fortunately, the ABS has acquired a new means of representing Indigenous population distribution via the CHINS survey. This is rolled out ahead of the national census and includes an estimate of the resident population of all discrete Indigenous communities across the nation. According to the 2001 CHINS, a total of 55 discrete Aboriginal communities were located within the Northern East Kimberley with a collective estimated population of 2,879.[3] A number of these communities are town camps, some are larger service centres and townships, while most are outstations. Figure 2.2 shows the size of these settlements ranked in size order. There are five communities of between 200 and 450 persons (Kalumburu, Warmun, Oombulgurri, Mirima, and Mardiwa Loop). Below this are six communities of between 50 and 199 persons. At the bottom of the hierarchy is a long tail of some 44 very small communities of less than 50 persons.
Figure 2.2. Rank size distribution of discrete Aboriginal communities in the Northern East Kimberley, 2001
Source: ABS CHINS 2001 Confidentialised Unit Record File
These communities are distributed widely across the region, though with some clustering in and around Kununurra and Halls Creek, as well as close to other ‘service’ centres, such as Warmun, from which they represent an offshoot. This spatial fragmentation, borne of legal access to traditional lands, creates contrasting conditions for economic participation: on the one hand it presents a potential barrier to mainstream participation, while on the other hand it is a necessary feature of the customary economic sector.
[3] This CHINS reports estimates of the usual resident population of each community based on information provided to survey collectors by key informants in community housing organisations, councils and resource centres.