Black Star Coen
Broadcasting Through the Heart of Cape York
Coen began broadcasting on 30 April 2019. Located between Cooktown and Aurukun, the station connects remote communities across central Cape York.
Black Star Coen
Broadcasting Across Cape York Peninsula
Broadcasting License Details:
Frequency: 102.7 FM
Site Location: Coen
Location & Population: Coen is a remote town in the Shire of Cook, situated inland on the Peninsula Developmental Road in Cape York Peninsula, about 580 km north of Cairns. As of the 2021 Census, it had around 320 residents, of whom approximately 74% identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Traditional Owners & Language: Coen sits on the traditional lands of the Ayapathu, Kaanju, Lama Lama, Umpila, and Wik‑Mungkan peoples. Languages such as Ayapathu, Kaanju, Lama Lama, Umpila, and Wik‑Mungkan continue alongside English.
History: Originally settled after a gold strike in 1876, Coen entered a gold rush by 1878 and was proclaimed the Coen Goldfield in 1892.
Facilities & Services: Today, Coen acts as a regional service hub offering a general store, fuel, health clinic, police station, post office, primary school, library, and airstrip.
Culture & Community Life: Coen remains vital to local Aboriginal culture, with Indigenous outstations and the Coen Regional Aboriginal Corporation supporting homelands and cultural resurgence. The community blends tradition and modernity through cultural practices, festivals, and local governance.