Central Land Council

Four Aboriginal women backed by the Northern Territory Government apply to the Federal Court to prevent the Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tickner from handing back title to areas recommended for grant in the Lake Amadeus land claim. Their action is the first 'Mabo-style' assertion of native title but ironically it attempts to prevent title being given to traditional landowners.

Title to 290 square kilometers of land near Tennant Creek township is handed back to the Warumungu traditional landowners by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Robert Tickner. The tradtional landowners have given up a large area of land adjoining the town boundary to provide for possible town expansion. In return the traditional landowners are promised title to town areas containing important sacred sites- Kunjarra (Devils Pebbles) and Junkurakurr - and reach a joint management agreement with Tennant Creek Town Council for the Mary Ann Dam Reserve.

It's a great occasion. So many people fought so long for the land. A lot of people have passed away, but they're still with us and they're still with the land. Now its up to us to go back and establish ourselves on those lands and develop something so that we don't have to rely on government funding, but rely on building something for ourselves. Ross Williams, Warumungu traditional owner.

Vandals paint racist slogans on the Warumungu mural outside the CLC's Tennant Creek office. CLC Assistant Director Tracker Tilmouth condemns the attack as a bitter affront to Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal people and out step with the broader community in Tennant Creek.

Ian Conway, the tourist operator at Kings Creek Station, makes an offer to settle the Lake Amadeus land claim. Mr Conway's business was established on land illegally leased to him by the Northern Territory Government, and his subsequent investment has become an obstacle to the hand back of the land recommended for grant. Although the CLC and traditional landowners respond positively to the offer, no settlement can be reached because of the pending Federal Court case.

Prime Minister Keating and the Labor Government are re-elected in a victory that runs against the predictions of opinion polls and pundits. Robert Tickner remains Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs but his ministry is transferred to report directly to the Prime Minister and Special Minister of State Frank Walker is given responsibility for dealing with the implications of the Mabo decision.

The Northern Territory Government and the CLC agree to a tourist permit system for the Mereenie/Watarrka road. The upgrading of the road will benefit the tourist industry and in particular Aboriginal tourist enterprises at Wallace Rockhole, Hermansberg, Ipolera, Glen Helen and involved in negotiations over the road for some time but the Northern Territory Government had been reluctant to allow traditional landowners to maintain their control over access to their land. The CLC joins other major Aboriginal organisations in sending a delegation to meet with prime Minister Keating and other ministers to discuss the implications of the High Court's Mabo decision. The delegation presents a painting by former CLC chairman Wenten Rubuntja and puts a peace plan to the Prime Minister. I'm more than convinced then ever that we've got to make peace with the Aborigines to get the place right. Paul Keating addressing his staff on the eve of the 1993 Federal Election.

The title for 190 square kilometers recommended for grant in the Warumungu land claim is handed over at Cabbage Gum Bore. The hand back is the fourth part of Warumungu to be returned.

At the same ceremony the title to 150 square kilometer Kanturrpa- Kanttaji land claim area is returns. The area was scheduled as Aboriginal land under and agreement reached between the Northern Territory Government and the CLC without completing the claim process.

At a process conference in Sydney, Chief Minister Perron tells the Foreign Correspondents Association that Aboriginal culture is 'centuries behind' European culture because Aboriginal people aren't driven by 'the desire for material possessions'.

The CLC signs an exploration agreement with the sons of Gwalia Ltd at Mt Theo outstation, 400 kilometers north - west of Alice Springs. The agreement covers 4,444 square kilometers of land.

This new company, Sons of Gwalia, took the right approach. They met with traditional owners and explained what they wanted to do. They didn't put pressure on people and they listed to what Aboriginal people were saying to them. We're happy they'll be here and we'll be working closely with them. We're hoping some of our young people will be trained and will be employed in the future. Rex Granites Japanangka

The CLC begins a major land assessment program covering large areas of Aboriginal land in Central and Northern Australia. The project, which is funded by ATSIC and the National Landcare Program, will involve Anangu Pitjantjatjara, the Kimberly Land Council and the NLC and use computer - based land information systems to plan sustainable development on Aboriginal land.

CLC representatives join hundreds of Aboriginal people throughout Australia at a national meeting at Eva Valley, near Katherine, to discuss the High Court's Mabo decision.

The CLC signs and exploration agreement with Kunapula Pty Ltd- a company which is one hundred per cent owned by traditional land owners from Kaltukatjara (Docker River). The agreement, which was signed at Tjunti out station, covers a 161 square kilometer area south of Kaltukatjara.

The CLC and Warlpiri traditonal landowners sign and exploration agreement with North Flinders Mines at Lajamanu. The agreement covers more than 3,000 square kilometers in the Tanami Desert- on of Australias richest gold- bearing regions.

Two sacred sites are destroyed during boundary work for a new national park. The Northern Territory Government is purchasing the land for the Davenport- Murchison Ranges national park from Kurundi Station but has not consulted the traditional landowners despite their important sacred site and native title interests in the area.

The Northern Territory Chief Minister, Marshall Perron, writes to Prime Minister Paul Keating, offering a 'once and for all resolution' of Aboriginal land issues in the Northern Territory. He calls for an end to Aboriginal control over exploration and mining on Aboriginal land in exchange for the Northern Territory Governments agreement to allow some existing land claims to be converted to Aboriginal land without going through the land claim process.

Now Mr Perron has the hide to suggest that the NT Government will stop obstructing land claims on condition that vital rights such a s inalienable title and the right to consent to development are ripped out of the Land Rights Act. If the NT government was serious about resolving land needs for Aboriginal people they would take immediate action to ensure that Aboriginal people living in desperate need on pastoral leases could obtain proper title to living areas on their land. CLC Director Kumantjayi Ross

The Commonwealth Government releases a draft outline of its proposed legislation regarding the High court's Mabo decision. Th proposal validates and protects non-Aboriginal land interests at the expense of Aboriginal land rights. It overrides the Racial Discrimination Act and will extinguish native title to validate non- Aboriginal titles even if the Governments acted in breach of it fiduciary responsibility in granting these titles. Native title would also be extinguished on pastoral leases and national parks even though there may be no conflict between the rights of native title and the rights of the other titleholders. Unlike the Land Rights Act the proposal does not give native title holders the power to control access by miners and other developers onto their land - it only provides the right to negotiate.

The CLC and other Aboriginal organisations hold a two- day meeting of Central Australian Aboriginal people to discuss the Commonwealth Governments draft legislation. The meeting rejects key parts of the draft including the proposal to override the Racial Discrimination Act, to extinguish native title on pastoral leases and national parks and the lack of Aboriginal control over access and development. CLC representatives then travel to Canberra to join a national Aboriginal meeting on Mabo. Central Australian artist Michael Nelson Jagamarra threatens to remove the mosaic from the forecourt of Parliament House, which is based on his painting.

The Government does not respect my painting or my people. I want to take to take my painting back to my people. If the government does not listen to Aboriginal people then we will all take the painting home.

The Federal Court rejects a Northern territory Government backed legal action to use native title rights to prevent the hand back of land recommended for grant in the Lake Amadeus land claim.

Following representatives from the CLC and other land council Prime Minister Paul Keating announces the Government will not override the Racial Discrimination Act in its Native title legislation. The decision is a major turning point in the negotiations. The President of the Australia Council of Trade Unions Martin Ferguson travels to central Australia to visit mining projects on aboriginal land and talk with traditional landowners and miners.

There are practical people out there in both the mining industry and amongst the traditional landowners who want jobs and who want mining to occur. I walk away with the view that frankly those traditional landowners are not opposed to mining at all. All they are seeking is that in the process of developing a mine site that there be an opportunity for proper discussions, and, I suppose a requirement that they be treated with some dignity so that the issues of concern and importance to them are taken into consideration in the development of the mining industry in this country.

Warlpiri traditional landowners sign a mineral exploration agreement for an area 2,576 square kilometers near Willowra, 300 kilometers north west of Alice Springs. A total of 42,000 square kilometers in the CLC region is now being explored and mined under the Land Rights Act.

Aboriginal people with the right of consent over development on their land are using that right judiciously and effectively to achieve controlled development. This right is valid for Aboriginal people. I allows them to manage the pace of development and it enables them to successfully negotiate agreements which give them a fair deal and employment opportunities in the industry. The process laid out for negotiating exploration agreements under Land Rights Act works for mining companies too. They know exactly where they stand at every stage - there is no uncertainty, no disputation. Acting CLC Director Tracker Tilmouth

ATSIC purchases Tempe Downs Station on behalf of the Luritja traditional landowners. The Luritja established one of Central Australia first land rights organisations - the Luritja Land Association - in 1974 and have worked with the CLC and made numerous approaches to the department of Aboriginal Affairs and ATSIC to win back control of their country.

People are very happy. There's a lot of traditional landowners. We purchased it for the whole lot. All the traditional owners. We might get a school at Tempe Downs later on. That's a long way though. First we need proper houses, not tin sheds but fixed houses. We need bores as we, That's. That's a good thing that were got now. We've been struggling for over twenty years- before land rights started we were talking to the station owners. Now we've got the station now - we've purchased it. That's pretty good, for kids especially, for the next generation. I think they'll have a very different life from us. They might have different ideas. They'll be all right. They'll be able to go ahead and do the work they like. CLC Chairman Kunmanara Breadon.

The Australian Parliament passes the native Title Act after three months of intense lobbying and exhaustive debate. CLC director Kumantjayi Ross was a member of the aboriginal group, which negotiated the form of the legislation with the Government. The legislation recognises the existence of Aboriginal people's common law right to ownership of their traditional country (native title) and establishes a system of tribunals to decide where native title exists. It gives Native title the same protection against seizure without compensation that freehold title enjoys.

Native title holders also have the right to negotiate over mining and exploration, but their rights are not as strong as those of traditional landowners under the Land Rights Act and the northern Territory Government immediately call for the Land Rights act to be amended and weakened.