Several
states and territories have enacted laws to establish Aboriginal land trusts, but not all.
New South Wales An Aboriginal Lands Trust existed in New South Wales in the 1960s and into the 1970s, a body of which
Lyall Munro Snr was a member, among others. This organisation had land passed to it by the government as well as having some bequeathed to it in private individuals' wills. They were successful in winning various rights over land in various places, including hunting and fishing rights, without having to go to court. They were instrumental in the closing down of
Kinchela Boys' Home (1970) and
Cootamundra Girls' Home (1974). They also encouraged young people to be initiated into their peoples' cultures. The Aboriginal Lands Trust of New South Wales (or New South Wales Aboriginal Lands Trust) existed from 1974 to 1983. Members in 1977–79 included George Griffiths, Bill Cohen, Charlie Leon, Lyall Munro,
Ossie Cruse (chairman), Ron Riley,
Essie Coffey, and Henry Bolt. This was "the first all-Aboriginal democratically elected statutory body to own freehold title to Aboriginal land in Australia", according to Sue Norman (2011). A non-statutory
NSW Aboriginal Land Council was created in 1977, to assist in the protests by Aboriginal people for their
land rights. This was considered a backwards step by members of the Aboriginal Lands Trust, because significant lands, hunting and gathering rights, and other rights were lost in the new Act.
Queensland In
Queensland, there are many land trusts, holding about 5% of the land. They were created under the state's
Aboriginal Land Act 1991 and the
Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991. The
Lands Trust Act 1966 was the first land rights law in modern times and predated the
1967 Referendum. It allowed for parcels of Aboriginal land previously held by the
South Australian Government to be handed to the Aboriginal Lands Trust of SA under the Act. It was held in perpetuity for the benefit of Aboriginal South Australians. The Trust was governed by a Board composed solely of Aboriginal people. In the 2013 Review of the Act, the powers of the Trust were reviewed and changed to modernise the Trust and the
Aboriginal Lands Trust of South Australia Act 2013 (SA) was passed. The other two Aboriginal landholding authorities in the state are
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) and
Maralinga Tjarutja, also statutory bodies.
Western Australia The Aboriginal Lands Trust in
Western Australia was created by the
Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act 1972. It acquires and holds land and manages it for the benefit of Aboriginal communities. It holds about (11%) of the state's land, most of which was previously held by the state government. ==See also==