The Traditional Owners of this land are those who identify as
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Sovereignty was never ceded.

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The Larrakia Petition

Dr Harry Hobbs

Last edited: November 23, 2022

The Larrakia Petition Factsheet View PDF 9.46 MB

This ANTAR factsheet covers the 1972 Larrakia Petition, a powerful demonstration of the feelings of alienation and disempowerment experienced by First Peoples across the country.

Calling for land rights and political representation, the petitioners declared that without a treaty they are ‘refugees in the country of our ancestors’. The petition was not acted upon, however alongside the Yirrkala Bark Petitions, Milirrpum v Nabalco and the Gurindji Strike, the Larrakia Petition was a foundational step in the campaign for Aboriginal rights in Australia. The determination of the Larrakia people helped push the Commonwealth government to enact a land rights law in the Northern Territory in 1976.