PM Transcripts

22 APR1968
FOR P2--". SS 269
VISIT TO' 1 WVX, HILL L ASS
( Sta tement by the Hon. 7' Wentworth, P.
iF inister I'L charge of Aborigi nal Affairs)
Latst 1' 1ondlay I visited Wa-ctie Creek, which is poirt of Wave Hill
Lease in the Northern Territory. While I w-s the re I hnd _-n
opportunity of imeeting repras~ jntntives of the Gurindji people,, some
of them are camcped in the grea. Previous to mygoing th-re I hoad
studied the reports of the Sessional Coilmittee of' the 1h. orthe: rn
Ter-ritory Legislotive Council upon the situation.
The Gurindji told me of their d6sire to hcld ' and devt. lo-p a sma-xll
araof some eight s.-uire iles as their ai-home a-real nnd of their
plans for iniprovingc, it. 7" ith -them I inspected the rrer) which they
woante d. -lso told me thnt if -they ha d this hea-dqurte-rs, which
would be availcble for the women nd child.-r(-n nndj *. hair e1lerly folk
while they wzere awlay at worlh, they would be ? ble to org -nise contract
foncing nC rauste.-rin--rand. t. o sup". o--t themselves. They saoid they
plarn-ed' to develop their own fruit and veget'ble gardenif and that the
site ii! s suitrble fo-2 this.
In consaquence Iam now, as a tiatter of urgency, e:-xamining with
jll the interested pa rties the im., plicitions and the methods of
r*-sur., ing this aro,-fromi the . aive Hill Letis.-, and making it availrible
for thc purp-) se f'or which it n-s been -eque. st._ d. This would, of
course, require the pcyraent of equitable com-ipnsation to the present
les sees. Should -this arabecome -vnila. ble, it i:., ould ba necessary to
provide aissistalnce on aself-holp Osis vi~ th f_ ncing *~ dbuildfing
mate riaql, so th.-t the & uidican develop their home arcoein thc w~ ay
which they hav-: said they would do.
Ul those suggestions ar, inL. line w-, ith those ma7de by the
Sessional Cot-ii-ttee of the3 1Eorth rn ;. 2ez. ritory Legislrtivo Council.
FricaavQ 1 2th April, 1968.