Category Archives: Indigenous Australians

Government declines to protect Indigenous sacred site to be bulldozed for Brisbane Olympic stadium

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Environment minister Murray Watt decides against emergency declaration to halt construction but does not rule out ‘longer term protections’

The federal government has decided against an 11th-hour intervention to halt construction of an Olympic stadium and aquatic centre in the heart of Brisbane, in a park that traditional owners say is a First Nations sacred site.

The environment minister, Murray Watt, issued a statement on Sunday afternoon to say he had considered applications made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act for him to stop construction in Victoria Park.

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Community shocked after Aboriginal rock shelter bulldozed for NSW power lines

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The heritage site was destroyed by contractors building transmission lines for the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone

Indigenous community members have described their shock and anger after an Aboriginal rock shelter was “damaged beyond recovery” by contractors building transmission lines for a New South Wales renewable energy zone.

The heritage site was destroyed by bulldozers in March during the construction of access tracks for the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone, a transmission line project located about 300km north-west of Sydney.

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Signs of ‘feeding’ ritual at dingo burial site shed new light on bond between First Nations people and canines

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Never documented archaeologically before, evidence points to First Nations people caring for and nursing the animal

The discovery of a millennium-old dingo burial site in western New South Wales, including evidence of a “feeding” ritual never before documented archaeologically, has shed new light on the longstanding relationship between the canines and First Nations people.

The dingo was buried along the Baaka, or Darling River, in Kinchega national park near the Menindee Lakes.

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Horrified Wagga residents call for proper sanitation at homeless camp where baby was found dead

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Tent where twins were born up to a 15-minute walk away from nearest public toilets or running water

The tent where a newborn baby was found dead at Wagga beach at the weekend was part of a homeless encampment up to a 15-minute walk away from the nearest public toilets or running water, with residents in a nearby apartment block saying conditions were “worse than a Syrian war camp”.

The tragedy has prompted fury in the community, with residents of Wagga Wagga calling on authorities to take urgent action to make the encampments safe and sanitary.

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Jefferson Lewis charged with murder over death of Kumanjayi Little Baby near Alice Springs

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Warlpiri girl went missing on Saturday 25 April from a town camp and was found dead five days later

  • Warning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have died

Northern Territory police have charged Jefferson Lewis with murder over the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby.

The Warlpiri girl went missing on Saturday 25 April from her bed in a town camp near Alice Springs.

Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Mensline on 1300 789 978

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Kumanjayi Little Baby’s relatives share grief at ‘child ripped away’ as NT chief minister foreshadows charges

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Gurindji families mourn ‘a life so precious, gone far too soon’

  • Warning: This article contains images of and references to Indigenous Australians who have died

Kumanjayi Little Baby’s relatives have released a statement saying they felt “helpless” when they heard she was missing, and hope their community can unite in grief.

“A life so precious, so full of innocence, gone far too soon,” the Gurindji families said of the five-year-old Warlpiri girl, who was found dead in Alice Springs on Thursday evening – five days after she had gone missing from her bed in the Old Timers town camp.

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‘Profoundly distressing’: record number of deaths in custody and police operations in NSW

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There were 66 deaths in custody and police operations in 2025 – 18 more than the previous year

  • Warning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have died

There were a record number of New South Wales deaths in custody and police operations last year, with almost a quarter of prisoner deaths recorded as self-harm, a coroner’s court report states.

Of those who killed themselves, most were by hanging, despite millions being invested to remove ligature points.

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Indigenous woman dies weeks after giving birth and being evicted from public housing: ‘She was failed completely’

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Noongar woman Mary Ann Miller died of sepsis while homeless to avoid an allegedly abusive ex-partner

The family of an Aboriginal mother of seven who died just weeks after giving birth say the Western Australian government knew she was experiencing domestic violence and fearing for her safety weeks before her death.

Mary Ann Miller died of sepsis in Fiona Stanley hospital on 28 March, two weeks after giving birth to her son and after she was allegedly assaulted and had her nose broken by her former partner. Guardian Australia is not suggesting the alleged assault contributed to her death.

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Anti-immigration group claims it did not organise Anzac Day booing despite post asking ‘how loud will you be’

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Booing by rightwing groups of Indigenous leaders giving welcome to country speeches marred ceremonies for a second year running

An anti-immigration group has claimed it did not “organise” booing at welcome to country ceremonies at Anzac Day dawn services despite a social media post asking followers “how loud will you be this year”.

Booing by rightwing groups of Indigenous elders giving welcome to country speeches marred Anzac Day ceremonies for a second year running, and sparked another public debate about their role at public events. Uncle Ray Minniecon, who served in the armed forces and was booed while giving an acknowledgment of country at Sydney’s dawn service, said the mocking was “unexpected and unnecessary, but it happens”.

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‘Racism is a cancer’: Indigenous leaders condemn orchestrated booing at Anzac Day ceremonies

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Uncle Jack Pearson, an army captain, says heckling ‘not in the Anzac spirit’ after welcome to country booed in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth

Indigenous leaders have condemned people who booed welcome to country speeches at Anzac Day dawn services across the country, with an army captain stating “racism is a cancer”.

Elders who spoke at services in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth on Saturday morning were booed following a campaign by Fight for Australia, the group formerly known as March for Australia, which has previously staged major anti-immigration rallies.

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Aboriginal child moved 1,700km from remote NT community should be returned, family court rules

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Judge says boy should go back to his community to learn about stories and rituals ‘that can only be taught on country’

An Aboriginal child who was moved 1,700km from his remote Northern Territory community should be returned to ensure he can experience his culture, the family court has found.

The boy, known as X in the court proceedings, was born in 2016, when his mother was in prison. She did not take part in the court proceedings, and the man believed to be the boy’s father only took a limited part in the case.

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Perth man accused of attempted terror attack at Invasion Day rally to plead mental health defence

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Lawyers for Liam Alexander Hall say the 32-year-old is undergoing treatment in custody

Lawyers acting for Liam Alexander Hall, a 32-year-old man accused of attempting to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth, have foreshadowed a potential not guilty by insanity plea.

Hall was scheduled to appear before magistrate Matthew Walton via video link from Western Australia’s most secure psychiatric facility on Tuesday, but did not. Instead the case was adjourned until May.

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Queensland government criticised over ‘absurd’ decision to appoint former police officer to Legal Aid board

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Barrister who represented Indigenous Palm Island community says appointing Darren Robinson to the Legal Aid board is a ‘slap in the face to the family of Mulrunji Doomadgee’

A barrister who acted for Mulrunji Doomadgee’s family says it is “unacceptable” for a former police officer criticised for his conduct in investigating the 2004 death in custody to serve on the Queensland’s Legal Aid board.

Andrew Boe represented Doomadgee’s family and the Palm Island community council at an aborted coronial inquest in 2005 and then in subsequent inquests in 2006 and 2010.

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Rhoda Roberts, Indigenous cultural leader who introduced the term ‘welcome to country’, dies aged 66

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Roberts, who was the first Aboriginal person to host a prime-time current affairs program, was diagnosed with a rare type of ovarian cancer seven months ago

Rhoda Roberts – obituary

Rhoda Roberts, the Bundjalung Widjabul Wiyebal cultural leader and arts devotee, has died at the age of 66.

In a statement made via Instagram, Roberts’s family announced she had died peacefully in hospital on Saturday afternoon, having been diagnosed with a rare type of ovarian cancer seven months ago.

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Queensland arts minister ignored recommendation that new theatre be named after poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal

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Exclusive: Queensland Performing Arts Centre board nominated Oodgeroo as preferred name in 2024 but it was not one of four options put to public vote by LNP

A Queensland government minister intervened to ensure that a new theatre would not be named after the Aboriginal poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal, overriding the theatre’s board, according to documents obtained under right to information laws.

The late artist’s name is also set to be stripped from a state electorate, in draft electoral boundaries released by the state’s redistribution commission this week. The Liberal National party lobbied for the change.

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Danish royals Frederik and Mary begin six-day Australia tour with visit to rain-soaked red centre

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Royal trip includes stops in Canberra, Melbourne and Hobart and aims to deepen trade ties

Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary have ended the first leg of their Australian visit with a sunrise trek to a famous Uluru watering hole.

The royal couple walked to Muṯitjulu waterhole in Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa national park with traditional owners on Sunday morning. The culturally significant site is one of the few permanent water sources around the sandstone monolith and a regular attraction for visiting dignitaries.

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Sentence extended but no jail for NT hit-and-run driver Jake Danby who called victims ‘oxygen thieves’

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Jake Danby’s sentence for hitting two Aboriginal men with his car, killing one, was extended from five months to two years in home detention

The family of an Aboriginal man fatally run down before the driver bragged about his death are angry and heartbroken after their brother’s killer has again avoided jail on appeal.

In June 2024, Jake Danby hit two Aboriginal men with his car on a Darwin street, killing one and injuring the other.

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Liam Alexander Hall named as man accused of attempted Invasion Day bombing in Perth

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Liam Alexander Hall is the first person to be charged with terrorism offences in Western Australia

A Perth magistrate has lifted a suppression order on the identity of Liam Alexander Hall, a 32-year-old man accused of attempting to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth.

Magistrate Lynette Dias told the court on Tuesday that openness of the court is fundamental in the administration of justice.

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Police sergeant found guilty of causing death of 16-year-old Indigenous teenager Jai Wright

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Benedict Bryant convicted of dangerous driving occasioning death after placing police car in path of 16-year-old’s trail bike in Sydney in 2022

A police sergeant who was told not to pursue a teenager riding a trail bike has been told he caused the death of the young man when he placed his unmarked car in his path.

Benedict Bryant, 47, was found guilty on Friday of dangerous driving occasioning the death of Indigenous teenager Jai Kalani Wright in February 2022 in an inner Sydney suburb.

For information and support in Australia call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for a crisis support line for Indigenous Australians; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636

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Guardian Australia wins Walkley award for Indigenous affairs for The Descendants series

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Christopher Hopkins also named the Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year for work published in Al Jazeera, The Age, and the Guardian

Guardian Australia has won a Walkley award for excellence in journalism for a series on Australians facing the truth of their family’s involvement in frontier violence.

Guardian Australia won the Walkley Indigenous affairs at Thursday night’s ceremony for the The Descendants series, which built on Guardian Australia’s 2019 Walkley award-winning series The Killing Times. The series explored the deeply personal process of truth-telling about some of the most horrific incidents in Australia’s past, from both sides of the frontier.

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