Who signed the Yirrkala bark petitions?

Who signed the Yirrkala bark petitions?

The first two petitions, requesting an inquiry, were presented in the House of Representatives on 14 August by Jock Nelson, Member for the Northern Territory, and on 28 August by Arthur Calwell, Leader of the Opposition.

Who started the Yirrkala bark petition?

When Nabalco wanted to call its new town “Gove”, Yolngu insisted it be called Nhulunbuy, their name for the nearby sacred hill. Again, Yolngu sent a bark petition to Canberra and on this occasion parliament granted their request. This petition sits on display in Parliament House between the two petitions from 1963.

What is Yirrkala plea?

The Yirrkala Bark Petitions are a series of petitions from the Yolngu people to the Commonwealth government. They are seen as the first documents that joined Indigenous Lore with Commonwealth Law as the petitions are the first traditional documents to have been recognised by the Commonwealth Parliament.

Who were the Yirrkala people and what were they protesting?

The petitions were created in 1963 to protest against the Federal Government’s removal of 300 square kilometres of land from the Arnhem Land reserve so that bauxite found there could be mined. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was among those attending the ceremony in Yirrkala.

Why was the Yirrkala bark petition created?

The purpose of the trip was to gather information from the residents of the Yirrkala mission and from the Reverend Edgar Wells, superintendent of the mission. The residents told the parliamentarians that they had not been informed about the federal government’s plans and that they needed help getting their land back.

What is the Barunga Statement?

At the Barunga Festival in 1988, the Northern and Central Land Councils presented the late former Prime Minister Bob Hawke with the Barunga Statement, which called on the government to recognise the rights of Aboriginal Australians.

What was the Larrakia petition?

The Larrakia petition is a document signed in October 1972 by 1,000 Aboriginal people from all states and territories of mainland Australia. Some signed with their name, others with thumb prints. A page of the Larrakia petition with signatures and thumb prints of Aboriginal people.

What was the purpose of the Yirrkala bark petition?

The Yirrkala bark petitions were the first example of a native title litigation in Australia. They paved the way for the Aboriginal Land Rights Commission and the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.

What is Yirrkala known for?

Yirrkala is a Yolŋu community of approximately 1000 people located 18 kilometres from Nhulunbuy, approximately a 15 minute drive. Today Yirrkala is home to the world renowned Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre, as well its museum and replicas of the original Bark Petitions. …

Who created the Barunga Statement?

Graphic artist and journalist Chips Mackinolty is well known for his work with Aboriginal communities. At the time that he designed this poster, he was working with the Northern Land Council. The design uses the bold black lines and halftone dots that were common features of 1980s Australian political posters.

Who was involved in the Larrakia petition?

The petition was signed in 1972 by 1,000 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people from all states in mainland Australia – some with their names, others with thumb prints, all of which are recorded and preserved on the record.

What is a Yirrkala Bark Petition?

Yirrkala bark petitions. The Yirrkala bark petitions 1963 are historic Australian documents that were the first traditional documents prepared by Indigenous Australians that were recognised by the Australian Parliament, and are the first documentary recognition of Indigenous people in Australian law.

Who sent the bark petitions to the Australian Parliament?

The Yolngu people of Yirrkala sent the bark petitions to the Australian House of Representatives where they were tabled on 14 and 28 August 1963.

Where did the Yolngu bark petitions go?

The Yolngu people of Yirrkala sent the bark petitions to the Australian House of Representatives where they were tabled on 14 and 28 August 1963. The petitions were written in the Yolngu language, together with an English translation.

Who owned the land in the bark petitions?

The bark petitions asserted that the Yolngu people owned the land and protested the Commonwealth’s granting of mining rights to Nabalco of land excised from the Arnhem Aboriginal Land reserve.

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