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History

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In 1915, the Cowal Creek community had an Anglican Church Mission School. In 1936 Mr Jomen Tamwoy from Badu Island became the head Teacher of Cowal Creek School. In 1940, Muttee Head School opened with Head Teacher Mr Adikuiam Adidi.

Mr Adidi remained Head Teacher of Bamaga School until 1964 when the Queensland Department of Education established a Bamaga Primary School on the site of the current bakery.  This was later moved to Anu Street to provide for a much larger area and growing enrolment.  Before the school became part of the NPA College, it was a separate large primary school with its own Headmaster. It catered for Preschool to Year 7 in those early years.  Injinoo Campus was a satellite campus of Bamaga Primary School.

Bamaga State High School opened in 1973 with students being enrolled in Years 8, 9 and 10. The Principal of the High School was Mr Frank Young.  Mr Young became a major figure in the Education Department as did many other Principals who served in the Northern Peninsula Area. Barry Staib became the Regional Executive Director of the Far North Queensland Region while Frank Peach who was another ex-Principal became the Director-General of the entire Education Department.

In 1995, there was a restructuring of schooling in the NPA and the current P-12 model was established. The school became known as Bamaga P-12 State School.  It was run as a P-12 school with one Principal, a Deputy Principal and several Heads of Department. The High School became the administrative centre for the school.  Later a Deputy Principal (Primary) was appointed as well to help manage complexities in the growing school.

After 2000, the Bamaga P-12 State School transitioned to the Northern Peninsula Area College, incorporating the three campuses (Injinoo Junior Campus, Bamaga Junior Campus and the Bamaga Senior Campus). These service the educational needs of the five communities of Injinoo, Umagico, Bamaga, New Mapoon and Seisia.

During the transition period, the College moved away from traditional titles to be one of the first schools in Queensland to adopt a true College philosophy and structure.  A College Principal was established to oversee the strategic direction of the College and to consult with the communities.  Heads of Campus were put in place to lead and manage each specific campus, with a Head of Curriculum guiding teaching and learning needs.

The future is very positive for the NPA State College.  Currently it has approximately 60 registered teachers in teaching and administrative roles throughout all the campuses.  Strong links with TAFE have been developed.  The College will continue to grow and adapt to provide a quality education service in one of the most remote centres of Queensland.

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Last reviewed 13 December 2019
Last updated 13 December 2019