The South Australian Pitjantjatjara Lands Act 1956 granted land to the Pitjantjatjara people, but did not provide a basis for future claims by other groups.
As a result of the findings of the Woodward Aboriginal Land Rights Commission, a Royal Commission, the Fraser Government enacted the Aboriginal Land Rights Act in 1976, after its drafting by the WhitlamLabor Government in 1975. Four land councils were established under this law. It established the basis upon which Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory could, for the first time, claim rights to land based on traditional occupation. This Act was the first Australian law which allowed a claim of title if claimants could provide evidence of their traditional association with land.
1978 (Cwlth) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Queensland Reserves and Communities Self-Management)
1978 (QLD) Local Government (Aboriginal Lands) Act
The Queensland 1978 Local Government Act transferred land leases to the shires of Aurukun and Mornington.
1981 (SA) Pitjantjatjara Lands Act
The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981 of South Australia enabled land to be transferred to the Pitjantjatjara people, who had maintained a continuous connection with their land. However, the act provided no basis for claims by other groups.
The New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Act provided land rights for Aboriginal persons, representative Aboriginal Land Councils, vested land in those Councils, provided for acquisition and management of land, and for the provision of community benefit schemes by or on behalf of those Councils.
1985 (QLD) Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (Land Holding) Act
1987 (Cwlth) Aboriginal Land (Lake Condah and Framlingham Forest) Act
The Aboriginal Land Act 1987 vests land to nominated Aboriginal Corporations.
1989 (VIC) Aboriginal Land (Northcote Land) Act
The purpose of the Victorian Aboriginal Land Act is to authorise the granting by the Crown of land at Northcote to the Aborigines Advancement League Incorporated. ABORIGINAL LAND ACT 1989
1991 (VIC) Aboriginal Lands Act
The main purpose of the Victorian Aboriginal Lands Act 1991 was to revoke the reservations of certain lands, and authorise the granting of that land for Aboriginal cultural and burial purposes.
1991 (QLD) Aboriginal Land Act and Torres Strait Islander Land Act
These two acts, the Aboriginal Land Act and the Torres Strait Islander Land Act, superseded the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders Act 1985.
1992 (VIC) Aboriginal Land (Manatunga Land) Act
The purpose of the Victorian Aboriginal Land Act is to authorise the grant by the Crown of land at Robinvale to the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative Limited and to extinguish a Crown lease and any other encumbrances existing over that land.
