Central Land Council

Land Rights News

July 1993

Warumugu Almost Back

Claim Lodged: November 1978

Recommended for Grant: July 8, 1988

Title Handback: 6 July 1993 Area returned: 190 sq km

"We been trying to get the place back two, three years ago, but we couldn't get a chance to get that place then. Land Council been fighting, and we got that place right now, today, so thanks very much for that."

Archie Allen was speaking about the return of two areas of the South Barkly stock route, which adjoin the Brunchilly and Rockhampton Downs pastoral leases. In fact it was 18 years almost to the day since the Rockhampton Downs Aboriginal community put forward the first land claim in the Tennant Creek-Barkly Region in a letter to the Aboriginal Legal Aid Service on 7 July 1975.

The claim was made even before the federal land rights legislation was passed and it began the Warumungu's long struggle to regain some of their land after they had been totally dispossessed. among other reasons, the claimants said they wanted to run their own affairs and believed they would be able to get facilities they could not get on the station, such as houses.

The title deeds to the two areas were returned to the Warumungu Aboriginal Land Trust by the Federal Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Mr Robert Tickner at a ceremony near Tennant Creek on 6 July.

Ironically, the Brunchilly Stock Reserve and the No 7 Stock Reserve are two of the last areas of the Warumungu land claim to be returned. The main sticking point was the reluctance of the NT Government and neighbouring leaseholders to agree to the land being granted until formal agreements on stock disease control and access to facilities had been finalised.

However the Minister accepted the undertaking of the traditional landowners and went ahead with the grant, bringing years of disappointment to and end.

"We didn't get it with the Warumungu (titles). We talk about it, but we had to leave it for a while," Archie Allen said. Asked how it felt to have the title returned, Archie responded, "We say that's good. That was very good. It's been a while. I've been trying for it first and they said we can't get that land back - not No. 7 dip bore. I didn't ask for it any more. Paddy (Noonan)has been trying all the time now I think. Four years I been trying. We got it now so that's good."

No. 7 Stock Reserve is the only area of the rich black soil plains, which supported the development of the pastoral industry in the region, to be returned under Aboriginal title to the traditional landowners. The have undertaken to establish and maintain the pastoral infrastructure needed to satisfy BTEC requirements and to provide continued access to existing facilities to Rockhampton Downs station, which adjoins the reserve.

"The traditional owners wish to work with local pastoralists and have undertaken to grant a 50 year licence over an area around No 7 Stock Bore so that pastoralists may use the dip and associated bore and yards," Mr Tickner said. The traditional owners of No 7 bore also have plans of their own. They intend to move back onto the land and establish a small killer herd on the small area of the black soil country which has been returned to them.

"We'll run some cattle and some horse, maybe two hundred or something like that," Allen said.

The traditional landowners of Brunchilly stock reserve are also planning to move back onto the country, although the area is less attractive for cattle grazing than No 7 Reserve. the struggle of the Warumungu to regain their land has been described by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Minister, Robert Tickner, as one of the most courageous in the history of land rights.

The two areas returned at the ceremony represent almost the last areas recommended for return to the traditional landowners as a result of the Warumungu land claim, which was first lodged under the Land Rights Act in 1978. Most of the land was returned at ceremonies held in December 1992 and in March 1993.

The final areas of the claim area still to be returned are on the South Barkly stock route, across Brunchilly and Rockhampton Downs stations. Negotiations on these areas are continuing to resolve the outstanding issues. Entrenched opposition from Peter Sherwin, the leaseholder of Brunchilly station has so far prevented even the surveying of the land to enable the return of these areas to the traditional landowners.

The Northern Territory Government has still not retuned two areas of great significance to the Warumungu. These were promised under a settlement package in which the traditional landowners agreed to relinquish their claim to a large area near Tennant Creek to allow for future town growth.