ɹˈɛzᵻdənts ʌv mæpˈuːn wɜː nˌɑːt kənsˈʌltᵻd ɐbˌaʊt ðə klˈoʊʒɚɹ ʌv mæpˈuːn ænd mˈoʊst pɹətˈɛstᵻd stɹˈɔŋli ɐɡˈɛnst ðɪ ɪnˈɪʃəl plˈæn tə ɹᵻloʊkˈeɪt ɹˈɛzᵻdənts tʊ ˈʌðɚ pɹˌɛzbɪtˈɪɹiən mˈɪʃənz ɔːɹ tuː "ɐsˈɪmᵻlˌeɪt ðoʊz ɹˈɛdi fɔːɹ ɛɡzˈɛmpʃən fɹʌmðə pɹətˈɛkʃən ˈækts ˌɪntʊ ðɪ ɔːstɹˈeɪliən wˈeɪ ʌv lˈaɪf ˈɛlswɛɹ".
Residents of Mapoon were not consulted about the closure of Mapoon and most protested strongly against the initial plan to relocate residents to other Presbyterian missions or to "assimilate those ready for exemption [from the Protection Acts] into the Australian way of life elsewhere".