Australia returned ownership of Uluru-Kata Tjuta to Anangu - October 26, 1985

On this day in 1985, Australia returned ownership of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to the Anangu people. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This Day in History Class is a production of I
Heart Radio. Hey I'm Eves and you're listening to This
Day in History Class, a podcast where we bring you
a slice of history every day. Today it's October nineteen.

(00:24):
The day was October. The Australian government gave the title
deeds to the Uluru Katar National Park back to his
arn traditional owners. Arnango homelands include areas in South Australia,
Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Uluru National Park is

(00:46):
located in the Northern Territory and includes Uluru, a famous
sandstone rock formation, as well as kat a group of
domed rock formations. A British born Australian explorer organized expedition
across Australia. He gave Katatar the name Mount Olga in
eighteen seventy two. The next year, another explorer dubbed Uluru

(01:09):
Airs Rock after the Chief Secretary of South Australia, Henry Ayers.
As more Europeans arrived in Australia and dispossessed Aboriginal people
of their land, conflict grew between Arnangu and pastoralists, but
in nineteen twenty the land around Uluru and Katatar was
declared the Southwest Reserve as part of a larger system

(01:31):
of reserve for Aboriginal people, but the rock formations had
great potential as lucrative tourist attractions. In nineteen forty eight,
an access road to Uluru was constructed and tours of
the area began. Ularu became airs Rock National Park in
nineteen fifty and eight years later kata Ttar joined Ularu
to become heirs Rock Mount Olga National Park. The title

(01:55):
to the park was vested in the Director of the
Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, but in meetings organized
by the Office of Aboriginal Affairs, the traditional owners of
Luru Catat and the surrounding land made clear their opposition
to pastoralism, mining and tourism that harmed the land. Nevertheless,

(02:15):
in nineteen seventy seven, the Commonwealth officially declared the area
a national park under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act.
Nineteen seventy five, the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service
paid the Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory to employ
park rangers, and from nineteen seventy eight to nineteen eighty
five the Northern Territory government ran the park, but thanks

(02:40):
to the efforts of Aboriginal people working to have their
land rights recognized, the Australian Parliament passed the Aboriginal Land
Rights Northern Territory Act in nineteen seventy six. The law
recognized the Aboriginal system of land ownership by traditional landowners
and provided ways for Aboriginal people to own, control, and
use the resources of their land, but to keep airs

(03:02):
Rough Mount Oga a national park, it was excluded from
the Act. The Pitjan Jajara and Central Land Council opposed
this exclusion and lobbied for an amendment to the Act
to allow a land claim to the Ulurut land on
behalf of the Nangu people. Many groups, including people in
the tourism industry and pastoral lists, opposed the claim to

(03:24):
the uluru Cata land due to their own interests in
the area and concern about how the Arnagu would manage it.
The councils went back and forth with the Commonwealth and
Northern Territory government, but in nineteen eighty three Australian Prime
Minister Bob Hawk announced that the government would amend the
Aboriginal Land Rights Act and gives a title back to

(03:45):
Arnango owners. The handback, as it's known, occurred in a
ceremony on October night. After they got the title, Arnangu
representatives leased the park back to the director of the
Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, ensuring continued public access.
The duration of the lease per the agreement is ninety

(04:07):
nine years. The land is run under a system of
joint management with a board of management represented by a
majority of our Nagu traditional owners. However, there is still
tension over the public treatment of the site and opportunities
provided for Ongo people. I'm Eve Jeff Coote and hopefully
you know a little more about history today than you

(04:27):
did yesterday. If you have any insight on an accent
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are comments to us at this day at I heart

(04:48):
media dot com. Thanks again for listening and have a
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