15 October 2025

No suspicious circumstances in remote skull discovery: Police

| By Kim Treasure
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Police tape

Police say no suspicious circumstances surround human remains found north of Pormpuraaw in July. Photo: iStock.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story relates to a deceased person.

Police believe there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the discovery of a skull in remote country earlier this year.

A spokesperson said police investigated after human remains were found at King Creek, about 100 km north of Pormpuraaw on 3 July.

The remains were analysed and determined to be a traditional ancestral burial.

The spokesperson said officers were consulting with community leaders and Traditional Owners to conduct an appropriate repatriation of the remains.

It’s believed campers found the remains while on an annual trip to the Cape.

Further north at Mapoon, archaeologists found ancient human remains interred in sand burial mounds in 2018. They were thought to be up to 6000 years old.

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