Battle for Uluru won but struggles continue

Uluru. Photo / Pamela Wade

ULURU - Aboriginal Australians yesterday celebrated the 25th anniversary of a high point in their struggle for land rights: the restoration of Uluru, formerly Ayers Rock, to its traditional Anangu owners.

At festivities held in the shadow of the ochre monolith, speakers recalled the bitter opposition of many Australians - including the Northern Territory government of the day - to the handover.

A plane flew low over the ceremony held in 1985 trailing a banner that stated: "Ayers Rock for all Australians."

"There were dire warnings that the rock would be locked away by the traditional owners," Gina Smith, deputy director of the Central Land Council, told a crowd of 200 or so Anangu people and tourists.

"As you can see, the rock is still here. People got their land rights and the sky has not fallen."

The Anangu, who have lived in the area for 20,000 years, were granted title to Uluru - and to neighbouring Kata Tjuta, another towering sandstone outcrop - on the condition that they immediately leased the land back to the federal Government. Now a World Heritage-listed national park, and one of the country's main tourist attractions, it is jointly administered by locals and Parks Australia.

While yesterday was a time to rejoice, some questioned whether the aspirations of 1985 had been fulfilled.

Conditions at Mutitjulu, an Aboriginal settlement at the base of the rock, are notoriously grim, and community leaders say little has improved since the Government launched its military-led "intervention" into the Northern Territory there in July 2007.

Vince Forrester, chairman of the Mutitjulu Community Aboriginal Corporation, said: "They've built a cop shop and two policeman's houses, but no new housing for us. I live in a Third World community that has yet to really benefit from being so close to a national icon."

There is also deep unhappiness that many of the 300,000 annual tourists - most of whom are unaware even of Mutitjulu's existence - climb the rock, against the wishes of traditional owners.

The latter, however, are reluctant to ban climbing, preferring to effect change through education. "We'll work at it until the right time comes," said Donald Fraser, an Anangu elder and land rights activist.

One ray of optimism has come from the acquisition of hotels at the nearby Yulura resort by an Aboriginal corporation which plans to establish a hospitality training college and increase indigenous employment.