Chronology of the Modern Land Rights Movement
History
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
symbolically pours a handful of sand
through Gurindji elder Vincent Lingiari's
hands at the handback of the Gurindj's
traditional lands in 1975.
Photo courtesy Mervyn Bishop
1963: The Bark Petition
The Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem
Land in the Northern Territory, faced with
their traditional lands being taken over by a
huge bauxite mine, presented a petition to the
Australian Parliament, in the form of a bark
painting, calling for recognition of their land
rights.
The Bark Petition
1965: Freedom Ride
Aboriginal people led a group of supporters on a "freedom ride"
through western New South Wales protesting discrimination against
Aboriginal people.
1966: Wave Hill Walk-Off
Led by the Gurindji people, 200 Aboriginal cattle workers and their
families walked-off Wave Hill Station striking for better pay and
conditions. The nine-year strike developed into a successful claim for
return of traditional Gurindji lands.
1967: "Citizenship" Referendum
Australians overwhelmingly recognised Aboriginal people as citizens
by giving the Federal Government the constitutional power to make
laws for Aborigines.
1971: Aboriginal Tent Embassy
Aboriginal people set up a "tent embassy" outside the then Parliament
House in Canberra calling for national land rights and an end to
discrimination.
1971: Gove Land Rights Case
The Yolngu peoples' fight for land rights led to a Federal Court case
where Justice Blackburn found that Yolngu could not prevent mining
on their lands because Australia was legally terra nullius (empty,
unoccupied land).
1973 - 4: Woodward Inquiry
The Gove case led to the establishment of the Woodward
Commission into Aboriginal Land Rights in the Northern Territory.
1975: Gurindji Hand Back
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam hands over title to traditional Gurindji
lands.
1976: Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act
Following from the recommendations of the Woodward inquiry, the
Whitlam Labor Government drew up this Act and it was later passed
by the conservative Fraser Government on December 9, 1976.
1989-90: Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
The Federal Government set up the Royal Commission to inquire into
the high rates of death among Aboriginal people held in custody. The
Commission's report included recommendations on ways to change
the police, court and prison systems, and on ways to change the
underlying causes of Aboriginal incarceration.
1989: ATSIC
The Federal Government established the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Commission under an Act of Parliament to replace the
Department of Aboriginal Affairs with a statutory authority elected by
Aboriginal people.
1991: Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was set up by the Federal
Government to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and other
Australians, as part of the response to the Royal Commission into
Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
1992: Mabo Case
The High Court found that Indigenous title to land was not wiped out
by the European invasion of Australia. This case overturned the
doctrine of terra nullius, and recognised native title.
1993: Native Title Act passed
The Native Title Act was passed by the Keating Labor Government to
recognise the findings of the Mabo case in statute law and establish
processes to deal with native title claims.
1995: Indigenous Land Corporation established
This was the second part of the Keating Government's response to
the Mabo decision. The corporation was set up to administer a fund
to buy land on behalf of Indigenous people.
1996: Wik Case
The High Court's Wik decision found that native title could coexist
with other land interests on pastoral leases, which cover some 40% of
the Australian land mass.
1998: Native Title Amendment Bill
The Howard Coalition Government significantly wound back native
title rights recognised in the Wik and Mabo decisions by empowering
the States and Territories to legislatively extinguish native title.
1999: Senate disallowance of NT native title laws
Senate rejects proposed Northern Territory amendments to native title
regime, which would have removed the right of Aboriginal people in
the NT to negotiate agreements on land subject to native title claim.