ink onpaper, HouseofRepresentatives, Canberra. Yirrkala artists,Dhuwamoiety, 46.9x21cm,naturalochresonbark, Yirrkala BarkPetition 14.8.1963 8 7 6 Ibid. 5 recognition. designs representingtherelationofYolngu peopletothetraditionallandsofYirrkala. and signed by 13 clan leaders of the Yolngu people, the petitions were presented on pieces of bark painted with traditional ‘terra nullius’ by the High Court in nullius’bytheHighCourt ‘terra a momentum forPetitions started future legal change including the 1967 referendum, the removal of the doctrine of were unsuccessfulintheirprotestoftheexcise land. ofYirrkala Committee thatrecommendedtherecognitionofYolngu rightsassetoutinthepetitions.However, theYolngu people 4 3 2 1 Walker, Errin Petitions (‘thePetitions’) inCanberra. totheHouseofRepresentatives In August 1963, the Yolngu delivered Bark the Yirrkala Land in the Territory Northern Arnhem people of north-east Yolngu People’s traditional rights andownership of the land. ofbauxiteminingleasesonYolnguCommonwealth grant land,protestingthelandexcises andseekingrecognitionofthe a catalyst for therecognitionofAboriginalandTorresStrait Islanderrights. Though theYolngu peoplewere unsuccessfulintheirimmediate appealtoParliament, thePetitions arerecognisedas Indigenous law thatwasrecognisedbytheCommonwealth Parliament. petition to Parliament had been made in a traditional Indigenous form, creating a bridge between Commonwealth and House, Canberra. thePetitions’This monthmarks 50thanniversary. display Theyareonpermanent for publicviewinginParliament rights inthe YIRRKALA BARKPETITIONS collections/exhibitions/yirrkala/home.html>. Museum ofAustralianDemocracy, above n1. Australian Government Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 Act Territory) (Northern Rights Land Aboriginal Indigenous Law Bulletin 8 Mabo Student Editor. Student (1992), acknowledgment theCommonwealth ofAboriginalland statutory 4 The Petitions led to theestablishment of a Parliamentary 5 Yirrkala BarkPetitions 1963 bark, inkonpaper, HouseofRepresentatives, Canberra. Yirrkala artists,Dhuwamoiety, 46.9x21cm,naturalochreson Yirrkala BarkPetition 28.8.1963 1 , andthecontinuingtidetowards Written andGumatjlanguages inboththeEnglish 3 Thepetitionswere madeinresponsetothe
Yirrkala Bark Petitions
