1972 Larrakia Petition

Aboriginal Australian land claims October 2024 October 2024 The 1972 Larrakia Petition was a petition sent by the Larrakia people, the traditional owners of the Darwin region in the Northern Territory, to Queen Elizabeth II in October 1972. Seeking the establishment of formal land rights for First Nations people, the petition was 11 ft m long and contained around 1000 signatures. It is now considered a landmark document in the land rights movement in Australia. Background The petition was made in response to Prime Minister William McMahon's refusal to negotiate a treaty with the Larrakia people following their March 1972 petition to him, which received no response.2022-08-05 ABC News: The Larrakia land rights petition https://www.abc.net.au/education/abc-news-the-larrakia-land-rights-petition/14006908 2024-10-04 ABC Education en-AU50 years after historic petition, Larrakia want Australia's first Treaty https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/50-years-after-historic-petition-larrakia-want-australias-first-treaty/7brfl5gcf 2024-10-04 NITV en This petition requested that the federal government establish a commission to negotiate a treaty with the Larrakia people. The petition The petition opened with the Gwalwa Daraniki, which means "our land" in the Larrakiya/Gulumirrgin language, and goes on to state that the land belongs to the Larrakia people; it was taken by the British; no treaties were signed; and that the Larrakia were being treated as refugees in their own country. This petition sought the establishment of formal land rights for First Nations people and the recognition of their indissoluable connection to land. The immense size of the petition, which reached a length of 11 ft m, was intended to symbolise the extent of national feelings of support for the Larrakia requests.O'Brien Karen 2019-10-30 The Larrakia Petitions for a Treaty and Land Rights https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/99330/the-larrakia-petitions-for-a-treaty-and-land-rights/ 2024-10-04 UK Parliament The 1972 petition was signed by over 1,000 people from Aboriginal communities around Australia. The first signatory was Bobby Secretary, as Larrakia elder from Darwin. Another notable signatory was Dolly Gurinyi Batcho.Larrakia petition to the Queen for land rights https://www.naa.gov.au/students-and-teachers/learning-resources/learning-resource-themes/first-australians/politics-and-advocacy/larrakia-petition-queen-land-rights 2024-10-03 National Archives of AustraliaWell Samantha 1972 - The Larrakia Petition https://adb.anu.edu.au/the-quest-for-indigenous-recognition/larrakia-petition-to-the-queen 2024-10-04 Australian Dictionary of Biography2018-04-23 Honouring many by remembering one – Dolly Gurinyi Batcho (1905-1973) https://www.indigenous.gov.au/news-and-media/stories/honouring-many-remembering-one-%E2%80%93-dolly-gurinyi-batcho-1905-1973 2024-10-04 Indigenous.gov.au July 2026 InternetArchiveBot After the collection of the signatures, the Larrakia planned to deliver their message to the Queen via Princess Margaret during her visit to Darwin in October 1972, and they camped outside of Government House seeking to hand it to her. In response, a police barricade was set up and they were denied access. During the attempt to break through the barricade, the petition was torn. The petition was then taped together and posted directly to Buckingham Palace along with a letter, dated 17 October 1972, apologising for its condition and explaining how it had occurred. The letter was signed by Robert Secretary, Fred Fogarty, David Daniels, Peter Mundine, and Harry Adam. The letter stated:We waited for twenty-four hours to give our petition to the Princess. We wanted her to know the truth about the Aboriginal people of Australia. We gave a note to one of the Royal Aides telling Princess Margaret that we wished to present a petition. There was no reply. 1972 Larrakia Petition Response Staff at the Palace received the letter on 3 November 1972, then returned the petition to the Australian Government, via then Governor-General of Australia, Paul Hasluck, and it was placed on file.2022 Factsheet: The Larrakia Petition https://antar.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Larrakia-Petition-Factsheet-1.pdf 2024-10-01 Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation A month after this Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was elected on a pledge to recognise Aboriginal land rights. Significance The 1972 Larrakia Petition is a landmark document in the fight for Indigenous land rights in Australia, and helped drive momentum for the Woodward Royal Commission. As such it was a precursor for the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976. 2022-03-17 50 years since the Larrakia flag was raised and Larrakia Petition signed https://larrakia.com/50-years-since-the-larrakia-flag-was-raised-and-larrakia-petition-signed/ 2024-10-04 Larrakia Nation en-US The petition is now held by the National Archives of Australia and it can be viewed in full online.Petition to HM The Queen from the Larakia/Larrakia people regarding land rights for presentation during HRH The Princess Margaret's visit to Darwin (National Archives of Australia In 1979 the Larrakia people made their first formal land claim, the Kenbi Land Claim over the Cox Peninsula. It was eventually granted in 2006.Kenbi Land Claim https://database.atns.net.au/agreement.asp?EntityID=2960 2024-10-04 ATNS - Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements project 18 May 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240518142633/https://database.atns.net.au/agreement.asp?EntityID=2960 dead Kenbi Indigenous Land Use Agreement https://database.atns.net.au/agreement.asp?EntityID=8914 2024-10-04 ATNS - Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements project 2 June 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240602200920/https://database.atns.net.au/agreement.asp?EntityID=8914 dead Davidson Helen 2016-04-06 Indigenous affairs: Kenbi land claim settled after 37-year battle https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/06/indigenous-affairs-kenbi-land-claim-settled-after-37-year-battle 2024-10-04 The Guardian en-GB 0261-30772016-04-06 'Momentous day' as Kenbi land claim finalised after 37 years https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-06/kenbi-land-claim-resolved-with-handback-to-go-ahead/7304466 2024-10-04 ABC News en-AU See also Barunga Statement Uluru Statement from the Heart Yirrkala bark petitions Yirrkala Church Panels References Category:Aboriginal land rights in Australia Category:History of Indigenous Australians Category:Indigenous Australian law Category:Larrakia people Category:October 1972 in Australia Category:Petitions