Thursday 6 May 2021

Bandjalang People gain Native Title over culturally significant land in the Bora Ridge, Evans Head & Lawrence areas of the Northern Rivers region


ABC News, 30 April 2021:


The Bandjalang people in far north New South Wales gathered today to celebrate a native title determination that was 25 years in the making.


The land includes a culturally significant bora ring near Coraki, north west of Evans Head, along with land already under the control of six local Aboriginal land councils.


The determination finalises a claim which was initially launched by the Bandjalang in 1996, the majority of which was determined in 2013.


Federal Court Justice Steven Rares said the Bandjalang had proven their continual connection to the land through the long-running court proceedings.


A map showing some of the larger parcels of land covered by the determination.(Supplied: NTSCorp)
















Traditional owner Simone Barker said she was sad her father Lawrence Wilson was no longer alive to see the claim he launched more than two decades ago come to fruition.


But she said she was proud of the legacy he had helped to create.


"He taught us well as children, that our culture matters first before anything else, and who we are, and to be very proud of that," she said…. 


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