By Staff reporter
First published in the Sydney Morning Herald on August 15, 1963
CANBERRA, Wednesday.-The House of Representatives today received its most colourful petition - a petition in aboriginal dialect, pasted on a bark painting, from 500 aborigines in Arnhem Land.
Mr Nelson with the Yirrkala bark petition.Credit: Staff
Beginning with the words, "Bukudjulni Gongayuru Napurrunha Yirrkalili." the petition is from the 17 tribes of Yirrkala people.
It is typewritten in an Anglicised version of the Yirrkala dialect, with an English translation. The bark painting shows fish and animals.
Twelve Yirrkala leaders have signed it.
The Yirrkala Bark Petition, presented in 1963.Credit: Yirrkala artists
The member for the Northern Territory, Mr J. N. Nelson (Lab.), presented the petition to the House of Representatives.
Before it was given the Clerk's certificate of approval for submission to the House, Mr Nelson had to verify that the translation was correct, hut he cannot read the language.
The petition protests at the Federal Government's decision to grant about 50 square miles of Yirrkala tribal territories to a French aluminium company to mine bauxite deposits.
The area is at Gove, in Arnhem Land, close to other big aluminium leases.
The Yirrkalas say the decision to take over some of their reserve was not explained to them before, and was kept secret from them.
Views of tribes sought
They say the land has been hunting and food-gathering land for the Yirrkala tribes from time immemorial, and all were born there. The land contains sacred places of the Yirrkala, specially at Melville Bay.
The petition asks the House of Representatives to appoint a committee, accompanied by a competent interpreter, to hear the views of the Yirrkala people.
It says the Welfare Department and Government officers who informed the tribesmen of the decisions taken for them, and against them, did not undertake to carry to the Government in Canberra their views and feelings.
The Yirrkala also express the fear that their needs and interests will be completely ignored, as they have in the past, and fear the fate which overtook the Larrakeah people, will overtake them,
The Larrakeah people were the tribes around Darwin when the settlement was founded and who died out soon after their contact with white people.
Mr Nelson said later the bark petition was sent to himself, the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr A. A. Calwell, and other party leaders.