The Jinibara people once roamed over much of southeast Queensland, over land they regarded as home. Now, after many years of negotiation, the Jinibara have regained native title to substantial parcels of that land, particularly on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
Jinibara People gain Native Title "I never thought I'd live to see this day, There were plenty of times we thought it would never happen. "We've all worked together to get this far, so let's keep working together for this to benefit all of the community." Uncle Noel Blair Custodian - Jinibara People
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HE JINIBARA PEOPLE have spent 14 years pursuing their native title claim and in November the Federal Court recognised their claim to about 703 square kilometres of land from the southern end of the Blackall Range to Lake Manchester in the south. The legal decision formally acknowledges the rights of the Jinibara People to camp, hunt, fish and gather in the area, maintain areas of significance and conduct ceremonies in accordance with their traditional laws and customs. The determination does not affect water rights or public access to national parks. It also gives them exclusive rights to 1.38 square kilometres of land to possess, occupy, use and enjoy the area to the exclusion of all others. Native title is extinguished (found to not exist) on land that is owned under freehold title, so it will not affect non-Indigenous landowners on the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland. The world of the Jinibara is rich in Dreaming places
and ceremonial grounds including Bora rings, stone arrangements, camping places, food resource areas and story places. The Court heard that the Jinibara Peoples have many stories that connect them with country and ancestors. The determination includes land in and around Maleny and over the Glasshouse Mountains National Park and Mapleton National Park. The Jinibara people are also the registered Native Title Claimants for the Woodford area and are comprised of the descendents of Fanny Mason known as Jowalmel who was born in the 1840’s at Woodford and Johnny McKenzie known as Wangiramu born in 1826 near Kilcoy. Custodians today of the Jinibara People are Uncle Noel Blair and Uncle Kenny Murphy who were elected by the elders of the Jinibara to act as their spokespeople and representatives throughout negotiations for Indigenous Land Use Agreements.
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HINTERLAND TIMES - DECEMBER 2012 -JANUARY 2013
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