Land rights documents

Source: Cairns Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advancement League, 6 November 1962, Joe McGinness Papers, MS 3718, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Studies, Canberra

In keeping with its 5th principle 'The absolute retention of all remaining reserves, with native communal or individual ownership', the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement opposed this closure.

Source: Prepared by Stan Davey, Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement, 1962

The Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement (FCAA) took legal action against the Pechiney Aluminum company's application to lease Yirrkala land at Melville Bay.

Source: 'Yirrkala', Barry Christophers Papers, 1951–1981, MS 7992/8, box 16, National Library of Australia

Source: 'Yirrkala', Barry Christophers Papers, 1951–1981, MS 7992/8, box 16, National Library of Australia

This report was prepared by Gordon Bryant, Member for Wills and Vice-President of the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement, and Kim Beazley senior, Member for Fremantle, following their visit to Yirrkala in July 1963.

Source: 'Yirrkala', Barry Christophers Papers, 1951–1981, MS7992/8, box 16, National Library of Australia, Canberra

This petition is from representatives of Yirrkala clans concerning proposed mining of their traditional lands. This version of the Bark Petition contains a copy of the petition. The original petition is in storage to prevent the signatures from fading.

Source: Parliament House, Canberra. Images courtesy National Archives of Australia, Canberra

Report of the House of Representatives Select Committee on Grievances of Yirrkala Aborigines, Arnhem Land Reserve, 1963.

Source: Parliamentary Papers 1962–63, No. 311

Source: Sunday Telegraph, 15 December 1968

Source: The Australian, 6 January 1969

Source: Document 128 in Bain Attwood and Andrew Markus, The Struggle for Aboriginal Rights: A Documentary History, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 1999

Source: The Sun (Melbourne), 28 April 1971

Source: National Archives of Australia, Melbourne

Source: Council for Aboriginal Rights, MS 12913/7, State Library of Victoria

Shirley Andrews' speech in May 1963 at a United Nations seminar on police and human rights generated many letters to newspapers.

Source: Box 3/4, Council for Aboriginal Rights (Vic.) Papers, MS 12913, State Library of Victoria

Shirley Andrews represented the London Anti-Slavery Society at this seminar. Her short speech drew attention to infringements of Aboriginal people's human rights in Australia.

Source: The Age, 4 May 1963

Responding to The Age’s report on Shirley Andrews' speech, this writer argued that Aborigines should be treated 'as human beings with equal rights'.

Source: Letters to the Editor, The Age, 8 May 1963

The publication of this article generated community response to the issue: most letters to the editor opposed the idea that the settlement be abandoned and remaining Aboriginal residents be assimilated into the community.

Source: The Age, 11 May 1963

Stan Davey opposes the plan to close Lake Tyers.

Source: Letters to the Editor, The Age, 14 May 1963

The writer of this Letter to the Editor put the argument that Lake Tyers should be developed along cooperative lines.

Source: Letters to the Editor, The Age, 15 May 1963

Source: The Age, 15 May 1963

This citizen argued that Lake Tyers should be maintained as a 'home to which aborigines can return periodically'.

Source: Letters to the Editor, The Age, 15 May 1963

Anthropologist Lorna Lippmann argued, among other things, that Lake Tyers was for Aborigines the 'last remaining holding in a State which was once entirely theirs'.

Source: Letters to the Editor, The Age, 17 May 1963

Anthropologist Donald Thomson argues against the government's policy on the Lake Tyers reserve.

Source: Letters to the Editor, The Age (Melbourne), 23 May 1963

Doug Nicholls sets out his arguments for the retention of Lake Tyers.

Source: Letters to the Editor, The Age (Melbourne), 27 May 1963

The Lake Tyers Committee produced this brochure in 1965 as a part of its campaign to increase community support.

Source: Council for Aboriginal Rights, MS 12913/3/8, State Library of Victoria

The Communist Party of Australia played a supportive role in the 'Save Lake Tyers' campaign.

Source: Reprinted from the Victorian Guardian, 2 May 1963

In this article, anthropologist Dr Diane Barwick opposed the plan to move residents and sell Lake Tyers.

Source: Smoke Signals, April–June 1965

Source: Box 3/9, Council for Aboriginal Rights (Vic.) Papers, MS 12913, State Library of Victoria

In 1971 the Victorian Government handed the Lake Tyers title back to the community.

Source: Identity, October 1971

This article was written by Alick Jackomos, Merle Jackomos' non-Aboriginal husband. Identity favoured contributions by Aboriginal authors. So, with Merle's approval, the article was submitted under her name.

Source: Identity, October 1971

This article draws attention to the patronising and racist terms used to address Aboriginal people at this time.

Source: Melbourne Herald, 22 February 1965

This Northern Territory Council for Aboriginal Rights resolution on improving Aboriginal living standards was composed at the people's request by Frank Hardy following a meeting which set out these points.

Source: Barry Christophers Papers, 1951–1981, MS 7992/8/7, National Library of Australia

Source: National Library of Australia, Frank Hardy Papers, 4887/73/6

Source: National Archives of Australia, Darwin

Aboriginal protesters opposed the proposed Northern Territory Bill which would enable Aborigines to lease and then sell land within Aboriginal reserves.

Source: Northern Territory News, 28 February 1968

Source: Save the Gurindji Campaign, Barry Christophers Papers, MS 7992, National Library of Australia

Source: National Missionary Council of Australia, June 1963

Source: On Aboriginal Affairs, no. 7, March–April 1963

Source: Commonwealth of Australia, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), House of Representatives, 23 May 1963, pp. 1795–97

This issue contained a range of articles on land rights issues, both in Australia and overseas.

Source: On Aboriginal Affairs, no. 12, July–August 1964

Frank Engel, General Secretary of the Australian Council of Churches, set out the main arguments for land rights in this pamphlet.

Source: Box 11, Folder 12, Gordon Bryant Papers, MS 8256, National Library of Australia

Source: Methodist Church of Australasia, Victoria and Tasmania Conference, Commission on Aboriginal Affairs, 1967

Source: Council of Aboriginal Rights papers, MS 12913/10/8, State Library of Victoria

Source: Bryant papers, MS 8256, National Library of Australia

Source: The Age, 20 June 1968

This document contains the statement by the Minister for the Interior, PJ Nixon, on 8 August 1968 regarding Northern Territory Aboriginal Land Rights.

Source: Peter Nixon, Aboriginal Land Rights leaflet, Australian Government Printing Service, Canberra, 1968.

Source: Riley Ephemera collection, State Library of Victoria

Source: Northern Territory Archives Service

Source: Pittock papers, Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies, Monash University

Barrie Pittock, convenor of the Legislative Reform Committee of the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI) in 1966, wrote this history of FCAATSI.

Source: Courtesy Barrie Pittock

Source: Identity, July 1971

Source: This document is in Bain Attwood and Andrew Markus, The Struggle for Aboriginal Rights: A Documentary History, Allen and Unwin, 1999, pp. 236–237

Source: The Australian, 3 May 1971

Source: Pamphlet, Commonwealth Government Printing Office, Canberra, 26 January 1972

Source: The Australian, 26 January 1972

Source: The Australian, 25 January 1972

Source: Identity, July 1972

Source: The Australian, 14 July 1972

President of the Australian Council of Churches, Bishop Garnsey's telegram protesting the removal of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and supporting Aboriginal land rights legislation.

Source: A463, 1972/3205, National Archives of Australia, Canberra

This telegram drew a parallel between the attitudes of the South African and Australian governments towards the treatment of indigenous peoples.

Source: A463, 1972/3205, National Archives of Australia, Canberra

This writer requested that the government 'give these people back their land and their dignity'.

Source: A463, 1972/3205, National Archives of Australia, Canberra

This letter writer announced an intention to vote Labor, describing the Prime Minister William McMahon as a racist.

Source: A463, 1972/3205, National Archives of Australia, Canberra