| Defence signs ILUA
over Bradshaw Station |
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|  In
the Dreamtime this land was covered by ocean and
a big tidal
wave came and washed away our Dreamtime and spiritual soul
was taken away by the big tidal wave. So I built a wall to
stop the tidal wave but I couldn’t protect my land.
So as you can see now the hills are built as a wall. Then
it made itself as rivers and land and animals as
you can see
the Victoria River now.
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Alan Griffiths presents a painting to
Defence Minister Robert Hill |
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This simple but
powerful description
of the Dreaming story for the Bradshaw Station
area was sung in language by Nungali/Ngaliwurru
elder Jerry Jones on 16 July, the day
traditional
owners and the Department of Defence signed an
Indigenous Land Use Agreement
covering the station. |
Defence is now moving ahead
with developing
the 8,700 square kilometre station into
northern Australia’s
largest training facility.
Under the terms of the
agreement, Defence
can use the former cattle station for an
initial period
of 75 years with a right to renew for up to
225 years,
and have won traditional owners’
consent for the
construction of a bridge, an all-weather
road and other
infrastructure including accommodation
facilities.
In return Defence has agreed to protect
sacred sites and guarantee access to Bradshaw by the
area’s 800 traditional owners in
addition to undertaking
a raft of financial, training and
employment commitments. |
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| Importantly,
native title
will not be extinguished by the defence
purposes lease.
Traditional owners, Defence Department personnel, NLC
officers and politicians joined Defence
Minister Robert
Hill at the signing ceremony, during which
Senator Hill
thanked traditional owners and the NLC for
persevering
during the lengthy negotiations that led up
to the ILUA
signing. |
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| This
is the most significant agreement to date to be concluded
by the Commonwealth under the Native Title Act.
It will provide
a critical training ground in northern Australia
for the Army’s
1st Brigade. |
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| Senator Hill |
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Senior Aboriginal elders Alan
Griffiths and Captain Waditj described the moment
as a "landmark"
for the Jamundjung, Nungali/Ngaliwurru,
Murinkura, Murinpatha
and Wardaman people. |
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| Our
country is more important to us than words can convey.This
agreement will allow us to set our own course,
and will help
keep our people strong. |
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| Mr Griffiths |
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Bradshaw Station was
established
in 1894 and was run as a pastoral venture until
being bought
by Defence in 1996. Documented Aboriginal resistance to the
occupation of their lands continued through to
1932, although
Aboriginal people eventually formed the backbone
of the station’s
workforce.
However, the Aboriginal workforce walked off
the station in 1978 in a dispute over wages,
never to return.
NLC Chief Executive Norman Fry said
the agreement
offered traditional owners a "fresh start".
This
agreement shows what can be achieved when
government is prepared
to sit down with Aboriginal people and talk to
them as equals,
he said. I
congratulate all those who played their part in making this
agreement a reality. |
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Introduction
