Are there Aboriginals in the Great Victoria Desert?

Answer 1

Yes. Large areas of the Great Victoria Desert are are under the controll of aboriginal land holding bodies. The north is under the care of Anangu Pitjantjatjara. They hold an inalienable freehold title under the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act 1981. The Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Bill 1983 granted inalienable title to 7.74 million hectares of Great Victoria Desert land to the traditional owners who were displaced by the Maralinga Nuclear tests. Sections of the north western part of the desert are Ngaanyatjarra Lands. In 2000 the Spinifex people or Pila Nguru based at Tjuntjuntjara were granted 55,000 square kilometres of land by the Federal Court. Aboriginal people also have a joint management arrangement on Conservation reserves in the desert. The Tjuntjuntjara community operate the Ilkurka Roadhouse which is approximately half way along the Ann Beadell highway in the middle of the Great Victoria Desert.