Aboriginal Land Rights within Australia Essay - 1885 Words

Terra Nullius was once apparent in Australian society, but has now been nullified with the turn of the century. With the political changes in our society, and the apology to Indigenous Australians, society is now witnessing an increase in aboriginals gaining a voice in today’s society. Described by Pat Dodson (2006) as a seminal moment in Australia’s history, Rudd’s apology was expressed in the true spirit of reconciliation opening a new chapter in the history of Australia. Considerable debate has arisen within society as to whether aboriginals have a right to land that is of cultural significance and whether current land owners will be able to keep their land. An issue facing society is whether legislation in place is sufficient in†¦show more content†¦Case by case indigenous Australians begin to gain access to the land that was taken from them. Contentious debate continues to rage in present society opening a floodgate of ethical issues which can have detrimental effects on all parties involved. Ethics vary from each individual and tend to stem from their own belief systems external to that person (Dosen, Harris, Brock, Imariso and Smith 2007:336). These ethics give rise to conflicting arguments in present society. 50 years ago, Indigenous Australians were not entitled to enter a bar, cafe, swimming pool, or a cinema, if that deprivation of basic rights wasn’t enough; they then took children from their mothers later on known as the ‘stolen generation’ (www.creativespirits.2008). The stolen generation, estimated at over 100,000 children were taken from their homes and placed in missions, reserves or dormitories (www.creativespirits.2008). â€Å"I feel our childhood has been taken away from us and it has left a big hole in our lives† an Indigenous Australian part of the stolen generation (www.creati vespirtis.2008). The loss of ones culture and identity was deemed worse then being poor and living in sub standard living with their families. The case of Mabo v Others v State of Queensland (No.2) (1992) 175 CLR 1 (www.austlii, 1993), rewrote common law as the court ruled in a six to one majority, that the people ofShow MoreRelatedEffectiveness Of The Campaigns For Indigenous1434 Words   |  6 PagesHISTORY ESSAY EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CAMPAIGNS FOR INDIGENOUS RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA IN THE PERIOD 1965 – 2014 During the period between 1965 and 2014, many campaigns involving Indigenous Australians were held to support their rights. The effectiveness and results of the campaigns from earlier years lead up to how Aboriginal people are treated today. The Freedom Rides was one of the first campaigns to be held within the time period and consisted of a group of university students promotingRead MoreMabo V Queensland : Significance And Impact Of The Courts On Australian Law And Legal History948 Words   |  4 PagesThe High Court of Australia in its decision in, Mabo v Queensland (No.2) 175 CRL1. Over turned the doctrine of terra nullius, discuss the significance and impact of the courts decisions on Australian law and legal history. The High Court’s Decision in 1992 has had a significance impact on our legal history. The Australian High Court made void to the concept that Australia was terra nullius which has altered our legal history in Australia dramatically in the way in which we see the British invasionRead MoreAboriginal And Torres Strait Islanders1514 Words   |  7 Pagesthe original inhabitants of a land, the people who were there before any settlers of a different land came and took over. Indigenous people will have generally retained their cultural practices and traditions that will differ greatly from that of the settlers. The term ‘Indigenous person’ is used to describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. (Australian Human Rights Commission, n.d.) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the original land owners of Australia, having lived here for moreRead MoreAustralia Based On The Doctrine Of Terra Nullius1416 Words   |  6 PagesThe Europeans settled in Australia based on the doctrine of terra nullius. This meant that they did not formally recognize the existing Indigenous Australians and their ancestral land. Subsequently, the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders were excluded from matters concerning their ancestral land during the drafting of the Australian constitution. Thus, resulting in an Australian constitution that discriminated against its first peoples, their connection to the land, culture and laws. â€Å"TheRead MoreAustralia s Indigenous People Of The World s Most Ancient Living Cultures1737 Words   |  7 PagesPeople who are not from Australia, may have never heard the word Indigenous or know the meaning behind it. If they have heard the word they might not know about Australia’s Indigenous people. Maybe when they think of Australia they automatically think of British convicts. Only the British convicts weren’t the first people to own the land in Australia, there come people way before them and they are still fighting for their rights and land today. It is said that humans have been on this continentRead MoreAboriginal Rights Of Aboriginal People1390 Words   |  6 PagesCommunity of Australia. They were no longer declared Flora and Fauna This means that Aboriginal people would be considered a part of the landscape and not humans in their own right.. In 1967, a Referendum was held by all members of Australian society voting on the issue of allowing Indigenous Australian to be a part of the census and thereby able to vote and be counted as part of Australia’s population. This achieved not only citizenship for Aboriginal people, but put the issue of Indigenous Rights on bothRead MoreA History of Oppression: the Mistreatment of Australian Aboriginals1541 Words   |  7 PagesAustralian Aboriginals Cases of oppression are very much present within our world’s history, and even in most societies today. Being rich in history, Australia is a large example of oppression in our world. Not only can we find koala bears and kangaroos in the continent of Australia, but also the world’s oldest existing culture of aboriginal people (Aboriginal Australia - EmbraceAustralia.com). For nearly 50,000 years, Australia has served as home to these ancient indigenous people (Aboriginal AustraliaRead MoreAustralian development in accordance to Indigenous Rights958 Words   |  4 Pagesmost practical ways, Australia is an egalitarian society. This does not mean that everyone is the same or that everybody has equal wealth or property, just that we accept all. As a country, Australia aims for the equality of all citizens; Indigenous, European and other, however these were not always the intentions of White Settlement, on the land we call home. European settlement had a severe and devastating impact on Indigenous people. Indigenous people called Australia home many hundreds ofRead MoreReligion Belief Systems in Australia Post 19451239 Words   |  5 PagesSystems in Australia post 1945 Question 1: Aboriginal religion is based on land. Land is the heart of Aboriginal Dreaming and provides the assurance needed for the continuation of rituals and ceremonies (king, 2010, p.213). The effect of Dispossession on Aboriginal spiritualities related to the separation from their land was enormous and overwhelmingly detrimental. The impact of British colonisation resulted in Australia being declared terra-nullius land belonging to no-one and Aboriginal peoplesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People In The Australian Constitution1091 Words   |  5 Pagesarticle speaks of The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders have rejecting the idea of constitutional recognition at the Uluru convention held recently and they push for a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous voice in the Australian Parliament and a commission that will hopefully lead to a treaty. More than 250 community leaders came together for the Uluru conference in discussing the future and what seemed to be the biggest topic, changes made in recognizing the Aboriginal and Toress Strait