Napranum Aboriginal Shire, an area of 1995 sq km, is north-west and north-east of Weipa, Cape York Peninsula. The Shire is in several parts. It was named after the Napranum township which is about 15 km south-east of Weipa on Embley River inlet. For the pre-1960 history of mission activity and the exploration of bauxite deposits, see the entry on Weipa.
The Napranum Aboriginal Community Council was established in 1989 and continues with unaltered boundaries under the name of Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council (2008). It is thought that 'Napranum' derives from an Aboriginal expression meaning meeting place.
The Napranum community in 2004 proposed the clearing of scrub around Billy's Lagoon for agricultural uses. The tree clearing was refused because of the Government's commitment to reduce the loss of tree cover. The Wilderness Society observed that the nutrient-poor soils around Napranum were unsuitable for growing anything other than the native vegetation.
Napranum has a general store, a community health centre, a pre-school, a primary school, an aged care centre and a cultural centre which is the venue for an annual dance festival. At the 2011 census, 44.9% of census respondents recorded their religion as Uniting Church, reflecting the fact that the Presbyterian Church administered the former mission. The main employment sector was local government administration, 24.7% of total employment, followed by metal ore mining 17%. Napranum Shire's census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 595 |
| 1991 | 696 |
| 2001 | 789 |
| 2006 | 841 |
| 2011 | 855 |
The median age of residents is 23 years compared with 37 for Australia.
