Anniversary of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji National Parks Handback

29 September

On 29 September 2021, representatives of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people and the Queensland Government signed an agreement at a ceremony in Bloomfield. More than 160,000 hectares were returned to Eastern Kuku Yalanji ownership, including four national parks.

Returning Country

The agreement covered Daintree, Ngalba-bulal, Kalkajaka and Hope Islands national parks. It established arrangements for Aboriginal ownership and joint management with the Queensland Government.

This milestone followed negotiations involving Traditional Owners, their representatives and advisers. The contemporary announcement records the involvement of the Traditional Owners Negotiating Committee and Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation.

It is important to distinguish the return of legal ownership from the continuing relationship between Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bama and their Country. That relationship was not created by the agreement. The handback recognised it within a legal and management framework.

Authority, opportunity and responsibility

Traditional Owner representatives described aspirations for greater control over their future, including training, employment and land and sea management. The agreement linked ownership with a significant role in caring for places of cultural and environmental importance.

The anniversary should not be reduced to a story about a scenic destination. These are living cultural landscapes, not simply visitor attractions. Recognising the milestone means recognising the people, knowledge and authority connected with them.

Reflecting on the anniversary

For schools and workplaces, the date offers an opportunity to consider what changes when Traditional Owners are central to decisions about Country. How are priorities set? Who holds authority? How can visitors and partner organisations act on their responsibilities rather than simply express appreciation?

A useful starting point is to learn from Eastern Kuku Yalanji-led information and follow current local guidance. Do not assume that a public national park is a place where every cultural story can be shared or every site can be accessed.

When discussing the handback, describe the arrangements established in 2021 without assuming that all long-term aspirations have already been achieved. Ownership, joint management and future ambitions are connected, but they are not interchangeable terms.

Sources and further learning

Queensland Government: 160,000 hectares returned on path to reconciliation. Contemporary record of the signing ceremony, the four national parks and statements from Eastern Kuku Yalanji representatives.

Our related products and resources

Somebody’s Land, by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing, introduces younger readers to Country and the idea of terra nullius. It is a thematic learning resource, not a historical account of this particular event.