Meeting over rejected claim

Native Title claimants to reconvene over determination

AN INDIGENOUS group is holding a special general meeting in Toowoomba on Saturday after the Federal Court granted a consent order rejecting their native title claim.

The board of Mandandanji Ltd has called a meeting of the Mandandanji People and a special general meeting of Mandandanji Ltd, following the Federal Court’s determination of March 7, 2018, that no native title rights and interests exist over the claim area, which takes in a majority of the Maranoa Regional Council area, and parts of the Western Downs and Balonne shires.

The Mandandanji people are those people who were described in the Mandandanji claim as being the biological descendants of Nellie Edwards, Combarngo Bill, Weribone Jack Senior and Mary Weribone.

In his judgment dated March 7, Justice Steven Rares noted that “one of the consequences of the interactions between Australia’s indigenous peoples and the early European settlers, together with their governments (Colonial, Federal and State), was the significant interruption of both the indigenous people’s presence on their traditional land and waters and their relationships within their original social structures”.

“As each of those separations lengthened, the capacity of some indigenous societies to acknowledge, retain and observe their traditional laws and customs was sometimes weakened and, on occasion (as appears to have happened here), disrupted to the point where it has disappeared.”

There will be two meetings on Saturday, June 2, at level three of the Toowoomba Civic Centre, 155 Herries St. Registration opens at 11.30am and the meeting begins at noon.

The first meeting will discuss and make decisions about the ramifications of the Mandandanji People following the Federal Court’s March determination, and discuss the possibility of an appeal.

A second meeting will only occur if the Mandandanji People decide to authorise an appeal to be filed against the determination.

To register for the meeting, please call Mandandanji Ltd on 4622 3874 or email secretary@mandandanji.com.au. Registrations must be received no later than May 31 and should clearly set out your name, contact details and your Mandandanji ancestor.