Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "Update: Hindmarsh Island (Kumarangk) Bridge Royal Commission; Justice and Equity CD ROM; Housing; Indigenous Students Graduate; Women's Issue; Erratum" [1996] AboriginalLawB 1; (1996) 3(79) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• Update
• Hindmarsh Island (Kumarangk) Bridge Royal Commission
• Justice And Equity Cd Rom
• Housing
• Indigenous Students Graduate
• Women's Issue
• Erratum

---

Update

Hindmarsh Island (Kumarangk) Bridge Royal Commission

Adelaide lawyer Greg Mead is author of the book A Royal Omission, which provides an in-depth analysis of the proceedings and findings of the Hindmarsh Island (Kumarangk) Royal Commission.

The book summarises all the oral evidence presented to the Commission in the light of the political party machinations behind the Commission's establishment, the media's role with regard to broadcasting of the fabrication allegations, and the body of anthropological evidence pointing to the existence of women's knowledge associated with the Hindmarsh Island (Kumarangk) area. Greg Mead then sums up his 'findings' to present an alternative 'Report' to that handed down by Commissioner Stevens.

A Royal Omission is available through Dymocks (Sydney and Canberra), Unico Books (Sydney), The Bookshelf (Melbourne), and most Adelaide bookstores. Copies can also be obtained through sending a cheque or money order for $13.50 to:

Greg Mead
PO Box 6042
Halifax Street SA 5000

Justice and Equity CD ROM

Justice and Equity is an initiative of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, consisting of material on social justice for Indigenous Australians. It is a CD ROM, and contains such items as all volumes of the report by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and associated individual death reports, the 1986 Report by the Australian Law Reform Commission entitled The Recognition of (Aboriginal) Customary Law, and the judgement in Mabo [No. 2] (Mabo v Queensland [No. 2] [1992] HCA 23; (1992) 175 CLR 1).

The CD ROM is available free of charge. Material contained in it is also available through the Council's Home Page on the Internet. The address is http:/www.austlii.edu.au/car/. The CD ROM can be obtained by faxing address details to [phone], or sending them to:

Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
Locked Bag 14
Queen Victoria Terrace
Parkes ACT 2600

Housing

The NSW Aboriginal Housing Development Committee (AHDC) is planning to conduct community consultations in the early part of 1996.

The purpose of these consultations will be to establish future directions for Aboriginal housing in NSW, including the manner in which Aboriginal housing should be managed.

The AHDC is an all-Indigenous committee which presents the NSW Government with advice on housing services and policies for Indigenous people. It was established in November 1994.

For information on the locations and times of community meetings around the State, contact the Co-ordinator by phone on [phone], or else your nearest Department of Housing Office.

People who cannot attend meetings can present their views to the AHDC by phone on 1800 801 674, or by sending written submissions to:

The Co-ordinator
Aboriginal Housing Development
Committee
GPO Box 3927
Sydney NSW 2001

Indigenous students graduate

On Friday, 9 February 1996, 19 Indigenous students graduated from the second Indigenous Pre-Law Program, run at the University of New South Wales.

The Program was a free intensive five-week course designed to assist students hone the skills required for legal studies. The course covered such areas as Indigenous Legal Issues, Contracts, introduction to library research, and essay writing skills. The students also visited the Sydney District Law Court, the Family Court, and heard talks given by Justice Mary Gaudron and Ms Pat O'Shane.

Most participants expressed an interest in pursuing law studies in the future, with 10 students being offered places in law at UNSW. As Mr Kevin Williams, a graduand of UNSW, said at the graduation ceremony, referring to the recent Federal Court decision against the Wik People's native title claim (see page 28), it is vital to get more Indigenous people involved in law, as terra nullius is still very much alive in the minds of many in the legal profession.

Women's issue

The Aboriginal Law. Bulletin special edition on legal and related issues of concern to Australian Indigenous women will now be published in April 1996. Contributors are invited to submit articles by 10 April 1996.

Erratum

The final line of Judy Atkinson's review of Restorative Justice: Healing the Effects of Crime, reviewed in the December 1995 issue of the Aboriginal Law Bulletin [1995] ALB 66; 3(77)pg21 was inadvertently left out.

Thus, the final paragraph should have read as follows:

'Recently on the ABC's "Life Matters", Geraldine Doogue referred to both Aboriginal women and Aboriginal men as "victims" of their colonial past. We can no longer afford to be "victims". We must find ways of moving beyond victim behaviours and experiences. Would restorative justice support the healing work started by some Aboriginal people, work that needs to happen in the area of offending patterns? Can we create the environment and the processes, using principles of restorative justice, for this to happen? I believe we can.'