Aboriginal land rights in Australia: expectations, achievements and implications

Abstract

Through land rights legislation Aborigines have now regained control, in varying degrees, over 12 per cent of Australia. This not only enhances their political power base but also, in theory, lays the foundation for increased social and economic independence. In practice the prospects are more limited. Aborigines in the south and east have obtained very little land; and while those in remote communities value the return of their land for spiritual and social reasons, most of that country is of little commercial worth. After tracing the background to Australian Aboriginal land rights, including differences in federal and state legislation, the paper focuses on the socio-economic implications of the return of the land. Detailed components considered include the reinforcement of spiritual and cultural identity and the development of mining and tourism as commercial enterprises. These demonstrate the wide variations in opportunities stemming from land rights and suggest that, while there have been significant positive gains, these inequalities prevent the process from achieving its ultimate end—a more just access to resources for Australian Aborigines.