The community was established following the arrival of German Pallottine Catholic missionaries in the region in 1939. Following the outbreak of World War II, the Australian government designated the missionaries "enemy aliens" and their radio transmitter and firearms were confiscated by police. After earlier sites proved to be unsatisfactory, the present site was chosen, in 1942.
The name Balgo may have been derived from the Kukatja language word palkurr-palkurr, meaning rice grass, which grows nearby. The Kukatja dialect of the Western Desert Language is the first language for many people at Balgo, with the name deriving from the Gugadja people. There is a Kukatja dictionary published by Luurnpa Catholic School, and at the school's Walkala Centre, audio books are created in both Kukatja and English. , scientists from the University of Queensland have been undertaking a research project on the Kukatja language, the locallingua franca which is fluently spoken "by residents of all ages and across at least seven tribal groups". Researchers are recording conversations and mapping the language, believing that Kukatja could provide clues to how languages are spread around the world. Dr Luis Miguel Rojas Berscia believes that the mission, as in other places such as the Amazon and West Africa could be the common thread, bringing different ethnic groups together in isolated spots. Berscia, along with Balgo woman Melissa Sunfly and other residents, is working on developing a dictionary of the language and a teacher's guide, before English is taken up more widely by the younger generation.
The community is managed by Wirrimanu Aboriginal Corporation, which was incorporated on 6 September 1984 under the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act. Balgo falls within the Determined Tjurabalan People native title claim area. The town plan, Balgo Layout Plan No. 3, was prepared in accordance with State Planning Policy 3.2 and was endorsed by the community and the Western Australian Planning Commission in 2005.
Facilities
It has a petrol station, supermarket, Catholic parish, Luurnpa Catholic School, Kutjungka Trade Training Centre, clinic and police station. Balgo Hill Airport is located south of Balgo. In January 2020 the Australian government announced an upgrade to the Tanami Road and its feeder roads. Conversion of the main road from gravel into a sealed road will improve safety and comfort for drivers on the stretch from the Halls Creek junction, which is the only route to nearby regional centres and for the transport of essential supplies to the community. Work on a new tourist road in Balgo has already begun, which will be used by local tour guides taking visitors to sacred lands.
