Native Title
NEWS FROM THE N ATION AL N ATIVE TITLE TRIBUN AL
S E p TEMBER 2008
ISSUE NO.28
T A L K I N G
In this issue
Court recognises
Birriliburu’s connection
An elderly Aboriginal couple,
Warri and Yatungka, who first
met non-Indigenous people in
1977, have helped the Birriliburu
People achieve native title for their land in
Western Australia’s Little Sandy Desert.
The nomadic hunter-gatherer couple lived
in the desert until a severe drought in 1977.
Concerned for their welfare, a childhood friend
Mudjon and an anthropologist Dr Bill Peasley
found them and brought the malnourished
couple into non-Indigenous society.
Evidence of Warri and Yatungka’s strong
connection to country contributed to the Birriliburu
People being recognised as the exclusive native
title holders of 66,760sq km of land in the Little
Sandy Desert, 900km north-east of Perth.
The claim, Birriliburu Part A, was recognised
in a Federal Court consent determination at
an outdoor hearing at Good Camp Rockhole,
near Wiluna, on 20 June this year.
The Court recognised the people’s right
to possess, occupy, use and enjoy the
land in the determination area.
The area, within the shires of Wiluna and
Ngaanyatjarraku, is mainly unallocated Crown
land and includes part of the Canning Stock Route,
reserves, a general purpose lease and some
mining interests.
Continued on page 6.
Ten years after their application was lodged, the Birriliburu People were recognised as the exclusive native title holders of a large tract
of land in Western Australia’s central desert. Ken Farmer, Fred Chaney, Slim Williams, Billy Atkins, Darren Farmer and son Tate
Farmer, state MLA Tom Stephens and Gary Hamley attended the determination.
Resolution of native title issues over land and waters.
n New Registrar
appointed
n Inspirational Gawler
Ranges partnerships
n New life for Lake
Condah
From the President Graeme Neate
New Registrar appointed to the Tribunal
Many people have
expressed concern
about how long
it takes to resolve
native t