Aboriginal Land Rights Commission

The Aboriginal Land Rights Commission, also known as the Woodward Royal Commission, was chaired by Justice Edward Woodward.^[1]

History

In 1972 Gough Whitlam (Labor Opposition Leader) promised in his election campaign to investigate Aboriginal land rights in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Gough Whitlam also wanted to give land rights to the Aboriginal people. An inquiry was made to Justice Woodward to investigate Aboriginal land rights.

The Royal Commission

Justice Woodward found:

• That all Aboriginal reserve lands should be returned to the Aboriginal inhabitants
• That Aboriginal Australians had claim to other vacant crown land if they could prove traditional ties with the land
• That Aboriginal land and Aboriginal sacred sites were to be protected
• That Aboriginal land and Aboriginal land councils were to be set up to administer Aboriginal land
• That entry to Aboriginal land for mining or tourism would be subject to Aboriginal control
• That mining and other developments on Aboriginal land should proceed only with the permission of the Aboriginal land owners
• That if, mining companies were allowed to go ahead and mine in Aboriginal lands, the mining companies would be required to pay royalties to the traditional land owners

The Whitlam Labor Government supported the findings of the Royal Commission and in a gesture of peace handed over the allotted land to the Gurindji people (see Wave Hill protest) in August 1975. In 1976, the Fraser Government passed The Aboriginal Land Rights Act that allowed Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory to make claims on land that they could prove traditional ties.

References

See also

• Aboriginal land rights in Australia
• Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976
• Indigenous land rights