Kubin: Bozzie's Bike

In 2002, the first Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs) were developed in partnership with then Aboriginal Community and Island Councils across Queensland. Seven IKCs were opened in 2002 with many more to follow over the years.

This year thirteen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Shire and Regional Councils will celebrate the role their IKC/s play in their communities, as libraries, meeting places, hubs and keeping places.

Moa Island is part of the western group of islands in the Torres Strait and is located 40 km north of Thursday Island. Moa is the second largest island in the Torres Strait. Moa Island has two villages, St Pauls on the eastern side and Kubin Village to the south.

The Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) operates an IKC at Kubin which opened on 2 May 2008. The IKC became the eighth IKC to be operated by TSIRC. 

Kubin IKC currently has a collection of approximately 1000 books and DVDs and since opening has delivered a series of programs and projects over the years. These have included Culture Love, Stories Under Tagai and Island Treasures. Island Treasures is a collection of stories by Torres Strait Islander children and at Kubin, Bozzie’s Birthday Bike was developed in 2009 by Year 6/7 students of Tagai State College, Kubin Campus.

Exploring the collection

If you’d like to explore some of State Library’s collection items relating to Moa Island, we have a few suggestions in the links below:

• 6341 Dr Wilhelm Rechnitz Papers, St Paul’s Mission, Moa Island, 1956. Rechnitz, Wilhelm Lorenz, 1899-1978, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.
• Church on Moa Island, 1934. Digitised copy print from APO-42/1 Hanlon Official Tour Photograph Album 1934.
• TR 1791 Margaret Lawrie Collection of the Torres Strait Island Material 1964-1998. Margaret Elizabeth Lawrie 1917-2003. Material relating to Margaret Lawrie and the Torres Strait Islands. This collection contains stories from the Torres Strait Islands in audio-tape and manuscript form. These formed the basis for the public of the Myths and Legends of the Torres Strait (1970) and Tales from the Torres Strait’ (1972).
• Stories under Tagai” traditional stories from the Torres Strait. State Library of Queensland 2012

The Kubin IKC is one of ten IKCs operated by the Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) in partnership with the State Library of Queensland. The other IKCs are located at Badu, Boigu, Dauan, Erub, Hammond Island, Iama, Mabuiag, Poruma and Warraber.