Cape York's Traditional Owners are celebrating this week, after the first land claim heard under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 (ALA) 20 years ago was sanctioned with the transfer of seven Cape York national parks back to Aboriginal ownership.

Many of the elders who lodged the claim in 1992, with the assistance of Noel Pearson, have since passed on, but were honoured in an official ceremony on Wednesday at Cooktown, where the State Government handed over the deeds of title to Traditional Owners.  

Traditional Owner Timmy McGreen said that the return of these National Parks to their rightful owners and the start of joint management had been a long time coming given the Land Tribunal recommended this in 1994.

“We are keen to protect our country as well as to secure economic development opportunities such as National Park Management contracts, for future generations,” Mr McGreen said.

Traditional Owner Clarence Flinders said, "It's taken a long time but we have finally been recognized as the owners of our unique National Parks."

The 1992 claim attracted significant public attention and was seen as a test case for the new land claim legislation and for the State’s commitment to the joint management of its Cape York Peninsula national parks.

The film ‘Dhuway: Great Grandfather my son’ produced and directed by the late Lew Griffiths, documented the land claim proceedings, particularly highlighting the strong connection of Traditional Owners to these lands.

A total of 354,800 hectares of land, including Cape Melville, Flinders Group and Howick Group National Parks (plus six USL islands which will not become national park) Jack River, Melsonby-Gaarraay, Mount Webb, and Starcke National Parks, will become National Park (Cape York Peninsula) Aboriginal land.

Balkanu’s Manager of the National Parks and State Land Reform Unit, Dr Alex Wells, said Traditional Owners see the handover as opening an important economic door into the cultural tourism and ecotourism market, with a number of families identifying strong interests in establishing tourism infrastructure, such as new camping grounds, particularly in Cape Melville, Jack River, Melsonby (Gaarraay) and the Flinders Group National Parks.

Traditional Owner Reagan Hart said he wanted to promote the very strong traditional story lines associated with Cape Melville National Park, particularly the Old Man Fog story lines, and the cultural interpretation of the Flinders Group National Park.

He said there are also plans for enhanced interpretive material and specialist tours at the recently rediscovered Melsonby (Gaarraay) National Park art sites.

Dr Wells said the sharing of these stories would add a new dimension of cultural insight to international tourism promotion of these magnificent areas.

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'Cape York national park handover', November 29, 2013