Gununa, Queensland

Gununa is located on the southwestern end of Mornington Island, on the Gulf of Carpentaria. The town faces the Appel Channel, (16.682°S 139.192°E / -16.682; 139.192 (Appel Channel)) on the other side of which is Denham Island (16.7144°S 139.1597°E / -16.7144; 139.1597 (Denham Island)).^[3][4][5]

The town was founded in 1914^[6] as Mornington Island Community, and renamed by the Queensland Place Names Board on 16 January 1982.^[2] Gunana or Gununa is a Lardil word.^[6]

Mornington Island State School opened on 28 January 1975.^[7]

Gununa Post Office was open by 1982.^[8]

In the 2016 census, the town of Gununa had a population of 1,136 people,^[9] which is almost all of the 1,143 people who live within the shire as a whole.^[10]

In the 2021 census, the town of Gununa had a population of 1,022 people,^[1] which is almost all of the 1,025 people who live within the shire as a whole.^[11]

Mornington Island State School is a government-run primary and secondary school for boys and girls from early childhood through Year 10. It is located at Lardil Street (16.6663°S 139.1825°E / -16.6663; 139.1825 (Mornington Island State School)).^[12][13] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 263 students, with 25 teachers and 14 part-time and full-time non-teaching staff (the equivalently of 11 full-time employees).^[14] It includes a special education program.^[12]

There are no schools offering education to Year 12 on the island; nor are there any nearby.^[15] Distance education or boarding school are the only options for education past Year 10.

Gununa Post Office is in Mukukiya Street (16.6635°S 139.1771°E / -16.6635; 139.1771 (Gununa Post Office)).^[16]

Mornington Island Uniting Church is at 21 Dajibuka Street (16.6635°S 139.1766°E / -16.6635; 139.1766 (Mornington Island Uniting Church)).^[17] It is part of the Calvary Presbytery of the Uniting Church in Australia.^[18]