Central Land Council

The ALP wins the federal election. Bob Hawke becomes Prime Minister. The new Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Clyde Holding, sets up a National Land Rights Working Party to develop national land rights legislation and in April he meets with the CLC Executive and reiterates the Government's five land rights principles: inalienable freehold title for Aboriginal land; full legal protection of sacred sites; Aboriginal control over mining on Aboriginal land; access to mining royalty equivalents; and compensation for lost land. ,

Representatives of the CLC and other Central Australian organisations meet together to discuss the situation at Lake Nash and other communities trying to establish themselves on pastoral land. Charles Perkins, then head of the Aboriginal Development Corporation, tells the meeting that the Government 'has been mucking around for too long' and promises ADC financial support. The meeting sends a delegation to Lake Nash to consult the community.

Clyde Holding appoints former Land Commissioner Justice Toohey to undertake a major review of the Land Rights Act.

Toohey takes submissions from the Land Councils, the Commonwealth Government and Territory Government, mining and pastoral bodies, companies and individuals.

At the same time the Burke Government in Western Australia has set up its own Land Rights Inquiry under Paul Seaman QC and promise that, at the very least, they will hand back title to all Aboriginal reserves. A convoy of vehicles travels from Alice Springs to Lake Nash.

The delegation includes representatives from Central Australia's major Aboriginal organisations: Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Tangentyere Council and the CLC. The Mt Barkly land claim hearing is held at Willowra and Mt Barkly before Justice William Kearney.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Clyde Holding says that the Commonwealth Government will act to ensure living areas for Aboriginal people on cattle stations. In comments particularly directed at Lake Nash the Minister says 'This Government does not accept the view that the rights of cattle of some absentee landowners will ever transcend the rights of our indigenous people.'

Mr Holding writes to twenty-seven pastoralists urging them to take a sympathetic approach to negotiations over living areas and tells them that if they don't make progress in the next three months he will take unspecified action. The title to the 4,884 square-kilometre Willowra land claim area is handed back to traditional owners.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Clyde Holding visits the Alice Springs Telegraph Station protest camp established to stop the Northern Territory Government's proposed recreation lake. He tells the custodians that protection of sacred sites is a matter of Commonwealth concern and they will get the protection of Commonwealth law. His promise is eventually expressed in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act.

The Northern Territory Government introduces the Community Living Areas Bill to address the issue of excisions. The Bill largely reflects the amendment package of two years earlier. The Land Councils oppose the Bill because it makes no promise for Aboriginal people who were forced to leave their land and does not recognise traditional ownership as a basis for claim.

The CLC begins legal action in the High Court to prevent the Bill being enacted. The Northern Territory Government alienates Gosse Bluff (Tnorula) by leasing the area to a Northern Territory Government corporation. Tnorala is a sacred site of great significance for Arrernte people who are very concerned to ensure that the area is protected.

The lease alienates the area and prevents the land from being claimed. The Government keeps the lease a secret for several months and when the traditional landowners learn what has happened they ask the Federal Government to overrule the Northern Territory Government.

The Commonwealth Government announces that it will transfer the title for Uluru National Park to the traditional landowners who will then lease the area back to the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service. This is an historic decision and is a measure of the willingness of this Government, on behalf of the Australian people, to recognise the just and legitimate claims of people who have been dispossessed of their land but have never lost their spiritual attachment to the land.

Prime Minister Bob Hawke Although the transfer has been on the agenda since 1979, Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Everingham claims that his Government was not consulted: 'It came like a bolt out of the blue - I feel sick in the stomach.' Mr Everingham calls a snap election over the handback decision.

The Palm Valley gas field is officially opened to supply gas to the Alice Springs powerhouse, one hundred and sixty kilometres away.

Justice Toohey completes a review of the Land Rights Act.

His report, Seven Years On, is submitted to Parliament. The report recommends a strengthening of the Land Rights Act in some areas but the Land Councils are disappointed that Justice Toohey recommends that the Northern Territory Government be allowed to deal with living areas on pastoral land despite their continuing failure to meet Aboriginal needs.

Overall Justice Toohey concludes that the Act is working well. ,Aboriginal Affairs Minister Holding tells Parliament the Government is determined to see a national land rights package which is consistent with the ALP's five principles. The CLC pushes for national land rights legislation to be at least as strong as the Land Rights Act.