Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "News: Borroloola Land Claim; Kerr Runs for ALP; Constitutional Walpiri!" [1987] AboriginalLawB 9; (1987) 1(25) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• News
• Borroloola Land Claim
• Kerr Runs For Alp
• Constitutional Walpiri!

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News

Borroloola Land Claim

Following inquiries after the publication of the design for the celebration of the Borroloola Land Claim on the front cover of the last Aboriginal Law Bulletin the following extract is presented to inform people about that claim.

Claim lodged: 1977
Tide dated: 29 June, 1986
Area of claim: 500 sq km.
Number of claimants 147

When Land Commissioner Mr Justice Toohey produced his report on the Borroloola land claim in 1978 the Aboriginal people were disappointed.

'We got what's left' they said.

The Commissioner rejected Aboriginal claims to three of nine areas claimed.

And although he found traditional ownership established for North and Centre Islands and a number of smaller islands of the Sir Edward Pellew group he did not recommend that they be granted.

The Commissioner did however recommend the grant of the vacant crown land known as the Borroloola Common.

But the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs at the time, Ian Viner decided to withhold from the land grant a one kilometre corridor.

This corridor was set aside for a road, railway and pipeline from Mount lea Mines mining deposit on McArthur River Station to a deep sea port to be established on Centre Island.

Nearly 10 years later the mine has still not been developed. There is no railway, no pipeline and no deep sea port.

The NT Government has begun selling off blocks at land for holiday homes on Centre Island. The Sir Edward Pellew group is viewed by many non-Aboriginal people in Alice Springs and Tenant Creek as the future Gold Coast of the Gulf of Carpentarla.

Much of Centre Island is registered under the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Protection Act. Like many of the other rocky islands in the group it has extensive areas of burials as well as important Dreaming places.

Even before the Land claim commenced the Yanyuwa and Mara had already lost a significant bid to gel back traditional lands. The groups had hoped to buy Bing Bong station and then obtain inalienable freehold title through a land claim. But the property was sold suddenly to Mount Isa Mines.

The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Clyde Holding, handed the deeds for Vanderlin and West Islands to the Wuralibi Land Trust in June 1986.

The Yanyuwa and Mora have little chance of getting title to the rest of their traditional lands but in their minds, the land will always be theirs.

Kerr Runs for ALP

Former Principal solicitor at the Aboriginal Legal Service in Redfern, Duncan Colquhoun-Kerr has been preselected by the Australian Labor Party to stand for the federal seat of Denison in Tasmania.

The electorate is presently represented by Michael Hodgman, a conservative in the Andrew Peacock camp. Duncan Kerr, his name has been obviously shortened to fit on placards, only needs a swing of less than 1 % to oust Hodgman. If Duncan Kerr is successful at the next federal election (probably in early 1988) he will join another former principal solicitor from Redfern, Robert Tickner, who is the member for Hughes in southern Sydney.

Constitutional Walpiri!

Central Australian Aborigines are to hear translations of a document released by the Constitutional Commission, talking about the importance of the Constitution to Aborigines and how it can affect their lives.

The Institute for Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs has translated the script into three Central Australian languages - Walpiri, Luritja and Arrente. The Institution takes the view that a Luritja translation will serve for the large number of Pitjantjatjara people in the Centre. In the Top End, radio listeners may hear Kriol, Gupupuygnu and Kunwinjku translations.

The Central Australian Media Association (CAAMA) has indicated its willingness to present the relevant translations to all Central areas via its FM radio station, 8-KIN. CAAMA, the organisation that recently won approval to become the Northern Territory's second commercial television licence operator, is Central Australia's main media link to Aborigines. The message asks Aborigines to offer any comment or submissions to the Commission.