Connell, Rachel; Menzies, Nick; Eagleton, Richard; Williams, Kevin; Zagar, Matthew; Mackie, Anthony; Fernando, Michelle --- "Recent Happenings" [1998] IndigLawB 38; (1998) 4(11) Indigenous Law Bulletin 16

• Recent Happenings
• 3 February
• 9 February
• 10 February
• 11 February
• 13 February
• 11 March
• 18 March
• 22 March
• 24 March
• 25 March
• 30 March

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Recent Happenings

3 February

A fourth Aboriginal death in custody for 1998 occurred in Western Australia where, according to the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee, only 10% of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody have been implemented.

9 February

Republican delegates at the Constitutional Convention agreed to recognise explicitly the original occupancy of Australia by indigenous peoples in the preamble to the Australian Constitution.

10 February

Three Aboriginal men were ordered to complete 320 hours of community service in the Adelaide Magistrate's Court for having 785 abalone in their possession. The Magistrate, Mr Alfio Grasso, made no comment on the argument made by the men that they had native title rights to the abalone.

11 February

The Federal Court rejected a challenge by traditional owners that the lease to the proposed Jabiluka uranium mine located inside the world heritage listed Kakadu National Park was illegally granted by the Northern Territory Government fifteen years ago. On 24 March, police arrested and charged two protestors with trespassing when they chained themselves to a drill during a protest.

13 February

The Day of Mourning site at the Cyprus-Hellene Club became the first building with significance for Aboriginal people to be protected under NSW legislation with a Permanent Conservation Order.

20 February

Lesley Doris Williams lodged a Supreme Court action alleging that the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Affairs Corporation, which compulsorily acquired her wages more than 30 years ago, has a fiduciary duty to repay the money with interest.

11 March

The Native Title Amendment Bill was passed by the House of Representatives without any of the proposed Senate Amendments and referred to the Senate for a second time.

18 March

The Supreme Court of Western Australia overturned a decision by the Equal Opportunity Tribunal finding in favour of Joan Martin who had been evicted from her Homeswest state authority house. It stated that she had been 'indirectly discriminated' against since the Tribunal had neglected to consider her cultural obligations to house her children and grandchildren who had been evicted from other Homeswest properties.

22 March

About 2000 chanting protestors led by Aboriginal dancers marched through central Melbourne to press the Federal Government to withdraw its Native Title Amendment Bill.

24 March

The Aboriginal-controlled Imparja television station based in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory signed a deal with Optus Communications for satellite delivery of its service.

24 March

The Board of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission passed a vote of no confidence in the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Senator Herron, demanding his sacking after he accused some indigenous leaders of being more interested in 'jetsetting' and 'attending talk fests' than in addressing basic needs such as education, health and housing.

25 March

It was announced that Pat Turner, the outgoing Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission will take up the Monash University Chair of Australian Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

30 March

Senior Ministers in the Wik debate refused an invitation to attend a performance of traditional singing and dancing on the biggest Aboriginal painting ever done on canvas, ahead of the second Senate debate on the Native Title Amendment Bill. The painting was created at Pirinini about 3000 kilometres south of Fitzroy Crossing and completed by more than 70 people including celebrities such as Jimmy Pike and Daisy Andrews.