The Cape Bedford Mission, at Elim, was run by Lutheran Church Missionaries. It opened in 1886 and moved to Hope Valley around 1896.
The Mission was founded by Reverend Johann Flier from Cooper Creek in South Australia. In November 1855 Flier was on his way to found a Mission in Papua New Guinea when he was delayed at Cooktown, in far north Queensland. This led him to establish a Mission near the beach at Elim on Cape Bedford.
Within 10 years the administrative centre of the Mission moved to Hope Valley, some 10 kilometres south.
1886 - c. 1896 Cape Bedford Mission
c. 1896 - 1942 Hope Valley Mission
c. 1950 - 1986 Hope Vale Mission
Sources used to compile this entry: Apunipima Cape York Health Council: Hopevale History, Apunipima Cape York Health Council, 2013, https://web.archive.org/web/20200310124624/http://www.apunipima.org.au/hopevalie-apunipima; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander missions and reserves in Queensland, State Library of Queensland, 2014, http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/82602/missions_and_reserves.pdf; Ganter, Regina, German Missionaries in Queensland - Cape Bedford Mission (Hope Vale) (1886-1942), Griffith University, 2009, http://missionaries.griffith.edu.au/qld-mission/cape-bedford-mission-hope-vale-1886-1942; Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and Multicultural Affairs report on unlicensed Mission dormitories for the Queensland Redress Scheme (2009).
Prepared by: Lee Butterworth
Created: 12 March 2014, Last modified: 13 June 2014