Wirangu No.2, Part A Native Title Consent Determination

A native title claim, first made by the Wirangu people more than 25 years ago, was partially finalised in December, with a consent determination held on Country in Streaky Bay to officially recognise the group as the Native Title holders of part of the Eyre Peninsula.

The Federal Court’s handing down of the determination was a historic day recognising the Wirangu people as the Traditional Owners of land from Acraman Creek in the North to Port Kenny in the South and inland to the Eyre Highway. They first registered their claim in August of 1997.

Speaking at the Federal Court hearing, claimant Barry Dean (Jack) Johncock said it was a shame that many of the people who started the journey were no longer around to enjoy the outcome.

“I’ve been a board member for a long time. When we lost our Chairman, Mr Miller, I was pushed up front to be the voice of the claim. I took most of the bullets, I suppose, I put myself up the front, but it was a team effort,” Mr Johncock said.

“I think they’re looking down and smiling and saying to the current Board, well done, it’s been a battle.”

New Wirangu Chairperson Keenan Smith echoed his words that the victory was bittersweet.

“Along the way we lost a lot of Elders. It’s amazing that we have got here, but, like I said in my speech, I wish my grandmother was here to celebrate this with me. We lost her over 10 years ago now, and I’d like to think that she’d be proud of me, and proud of my involvement in this and that she’d be here celebrating with us, and hopefully she’s there looking down on us.”

South Australian Attorney-General and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Kyam Maher attended the Federal Court hearing.

“There was a real sense of achievement and a sense of recognition today, at the foreshore of Streaky Bay, as the Australian legal system caught up with what has been known for millennia; that this has been, and always will be Aboriginal land,” Mr Maher said.

“It was emotional… there are some who are no longer here who started this journey for that native title recognition; that formal recognition in a European legal sense of what is the self-evident truth that this land was owned and was occupied before colonisation.”

SANTS would like to congratulate named applicants and management committee members Caroline Wilson; Cindy Morrison; Barry Dean (Jack) Johncock; Elizabeth Pool; Neville Miller; Kenneth Wilson; Vernon (Penong) Miller, Neville Bilney, Harry Miller Sr, Cheryl Saunders, Kaylene Wombat, Keenan Smith and Susie Betts who fought hard on behalf of the Wirangu people to reach their consent determination. We pay our respects to applicants who passed away before they could be recognised.

Listen to our Podcast episode about it at nativetitlesa.org/aboriginal-way-news

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WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following publication may contain images, names, and stories of deceased persons.