Aboriginal land trust facts for kids

An Aboriginal land trust (ALT) is a special kind of group in Australia. It's like a non-profit organisation that holds the legal ownership of land for a community of Aboriginal people. This land is given to the community by the government. This usually happens after the community shows they are the traditional owners of the land.

Land held by an Aboriginal land trust is "inalienable." This means it cannot be bought, sold, traded, or given away. The land trust is the group chosen by the community to legally hold the land deeds. These land trusts are managed by Aboriginal land councils.

How Aboriginal Land Trusts Work

Different parts of Australia, called states and territories, have their own laws for setting up Aboriginal land trusts. Not all states have these specific laws.

Aboriginal Land Trusts in New South Wales

In the 1960s and 1970s, an Aboriginal Lands Trust existed in New South Wales. This group received land from the government and even from private individuals' wills. They successfully gained rights over land, like hunting and fishing rights, without needing to go to court. They also helped close down places like the Kinchela Boys' Home and Cootamundra Girls' Home, which were harmful to Aboriginal children. They also encouraged young people to learn about their people's cultures.

Later, in 1977, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council was formed. It helped Aboriginal people protest for their land rights. Then, in 1983, a law called the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 officially created the NSWALC as a legal body.

Aboriginal Land Trusts in the Northern Territory

In the Northern Territory, land trusts follow rules from the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, 1976. This law also explains how groups can claim land. The ALTs hold the legal ownership of land that is given back to the traditional Aboriginal owners through this Act.

Aboriginal Land Trusts in Queensland

Queensland has many land trusts, which together hold about 5% of the state's land. These trusts were created under Queensland's Aboriginal Land Act 1991 and the Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991.

Aboriginal Land Trusts in South Australia

In South Australia, there is one main legal group called the Aboriginal Lands Trust, also known as the South Australian Aboriginal Lands Trust (SAALT). It was created in 1966 by the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act 1966. This law was introduced by Don Dunstan, who was a government minister and later became the Premier of South Australia.

The SAALT holds the legal ownership of Aboriginal land in South Australia. It also helps manage and control these lands. For example, it can allow a community group to use land for 99 years. The Government of South Australia can also transfer other government-owned land to the Trust.

The Lands Trust Act 1966 was the first modern law about land rights in Australia. It came before the important 1967 Referendum. This law allowed parcels of Aboriginal land, which the South Australian Government used to hold, to be given to the Aboriginal Lands Trust of SA. This land is held forever for the benefit of Aboriginal people in South Australia. The Trust was managed by a Board made up only of Aboriginal people. In 2013, the law was updated to make the Trust more modern, and the Aboriginal Lands Trust of South Australia Act 2013 was passed.

Other important Aboriginal landholding groups in South Australia are Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) and Maralinga Tjarutja. These are also legal bodies.

Aboriginal Land Trusts in Western Australia

The Aboriginal Lands Trust in Western Australia was created by the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act 1972. It buys and holds land and manages it to benefit Aboriginal communities. It holds about 27 million hectares (which is about 11%) of the state's land. Most of this land was previously held by the state government.