Muralag and Inner Islands vs Port Kennedy (Thursday Island)

Muralag and Inner Islands and Port Kennedy (Thursday Island) are two nearby areas with very different landscapes and lifestyles. Port Kennedy (Thursday Island) is a somewhat walkable hub where 99.4% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school and 99.2% are near a park. In contrast, Muralag and Inner Islands is car-dependent with a far steeper terrain slope of 24.0%. There is also a stark difference in demographics; First Nations residents in Muralag and Inner Islands are far older, with a typical age of 46, while the typical First Nations resident in Port Kennedy (Thursday Island) is 28. This age gap is mirrored in education, as Year 12 completion is far higher in Port Kennedy (Thursday Island) at 58.9% compared to 14.8% in Muralag and Inner Islands.

Both areas have tracked similarly since 2011, and they share some common challenges, such as having no homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. They both have very high proportions of people who speak a First Nations language compared to the national figure, though this is well higher in Muralag and Inner Islands at 61.8%. While Port Kennedy (Thursday Island) has a larger First Nations population and higher typical incomes, both areas stand out for their strong First Nations identity.