Indigenous Land and Justice Research Group - UNSW

Heidi Norman is presenting at the AIATSIS Summit tomorrow on 'People and power: Politicians and public servants in the history of Aboriginal self-determination policy in New South Wales'

Drawing on interviews with politicians and senior administrators, archival research, and studies of government, Heidi examines how key decision-makers understood Aboriginal self-determination, what motivated their actions, what they believed they achieved (or didn't), and the possibilities and limits of transforming relationships between government and Aboriginal polities.

The paper argues that from 1980 to 1988, the NSW Government undertook a significant transformation in the governance of Aboriginal Affairs, advancing a model of Aboriginal self-determination that was unparalleled across Australia. Although the policy became the subject of sustained political opposition and subsequent efforts to dismantle its institutional foundations, many of the changes set in motion proved impossible to fully reverse.

This period remains critical to understanding both the implementation of Aboriginal self-determination at the state level and the emergence of a policy trajectory that continues to shape public debate today.

If you're at the AIATSIS Summit join the conversation!

The history of smallpox in Australia is often told as a story of devastation. New research by Heidi Norman and Nick Pitt asks us to look more closely at Aboriginal responses.

Drawing on historical sources, the research shows how Wiradjuri, Gomeroi and Wailwan peoples actively responded to smallpox using Traditional Knowledge, observation, and knowledge-sharing networks across Country.

Importantly, the story does not end with epidemic. Within a decade, Aboriginal people across the region were leading significant resistance to colonisation.

Read more:

Fish bones and scorching hair: new research shows how Aboriginal people fought smallpox A smallpox epidemic in the 1830s brought a new and deadly disease to the southeastern frontier. Aboriginal people responded with three distinct techniques.

Congratulations to Fran Grant, PhD candidate with the Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group and academic at UTS, who is featured as a guest on SBS/NITV’s Living Black.

In the episode, Fran reflects on her own journey using DNA testing to reconnect with family as the child of a Stolen Child. These experiences have also informed her PhD research, which examines the growing use of consumer DNA testing by Aboriginal people seeking to reconnect with family, kin, community and Country.

The discussion raises important questions about Indigenous data sovereignty, including who controls genetic information, how DNA data may be used beyond its original purpose, and the risks posed by commercialisation, data extraction, and surveillance. A thoughtful and important conversation about family, identity, justice, and the governance of Indigenous data.

Very excited to celebrate the upcoming launch of our colleague Dr Naomi Parry Duncan’s new book on Musquito, one of the most significant Aboriginal resistance figures of the early colonial period.

The book traces Musquito’s life from the arrival of the First Fleet, through frontier conflict west of Sydney, to his exile in Van Diemen’s Land and eventual ex*****on during the Black War. Through detailed archival research, Naomi also uncovers surprising and confronting connections between Musquito’s story and her own convict family history.

Naomi has recently joined the Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group, and we are thrilled to have her as part of the team.

Sydney launch details:
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1588902

There will also be launches and talks coming up in Canberra, Hobart, Blackheath, Ryde, and Sutherland -plus the Australian Historical Association conference.

Stay tuned!

Naomi Parry Duncan - Musquito 6pm for 6.30pm Friday 17 July Naomi Parry Duncan in conversation with Delia Falconer Naomi Parry Duncan uncovered the dramatic and tragic...

Disheartening reporting today from the Central-West Orana REZ, where ACEREZ has admitted to destroying an Aboriginal rock shelter during construction works.

The region has also been the site of recent ILJ workshops and community engagement activities focused on Aboriginal participation in renewable energy transition.

One issue repeatedly emerging through this work is the challenge of ensuring that rapid energy transition does not outpace cultural heritage protection, Aboriginal governance, and meaningful participation in land-use decision making.

ABC report:

Renewables company destroys Indigenous shelter despite knowing about it ACREZ apologises to traditional owners "without reservation" as the NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe expresses her "fury" at the incident.

The Canadian province of Alberta is set to hold a referendum on whether it should separate from the Canadian state, driven largely by tensions over oil, energy policy, and federal regulation.

But an equally important dimension of the debate is the strong opposition from First Nations leaders, who argue that treaties predate the province itself and cannot be displaced by contemporary political movements.

One concern being raised is that separation could weaken treaty protections and expose Indigenous lands and waters to intensified extraction and development pressures.

For Australian audiences, there are clear resonances with ongoing discussions in NSW around Aboriginal land rights, Crown land, renewable energy development, and Aboriginal participation in land and environmental governance.

The Alberta situation is a reminder that climate transition and resource politics are also questions about Indigenous rights, treaty relationships, and authority over Country.

Al Jazeera:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/6/whats-behind-the-secessionist-movement-in-the-canadian-province-alberta

CBC analysis:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/analysis-alberta-separation-indigenous-treaty-rights-court-9.7160026

ANALYSIS | First Nations' court challenge may block Alberta separatism itself, not just petition drive | CBC News The argument lawyers are making: since treaties are between Indigenous people and Canada, a province trying to leave would be ripping up treaties.

Last night Heidi Norman and Therese Apolonio attended the Finity Consulting client cocktail event and caught up with colleagues Sharanjit Paddam and Evelyn Yong from the Finity team.

Over the last few years, Finity has been an important collaborator of ours through work supporting Local Aboriginal Land Councils to better understand climate risk and adaptation on Aboriginal land. Through their RAP commitments, Finity has undertaken pro bono climate risk assessment work with LALCs, demonstrating what reconciliation initiatives can achieve when they are supported by genuine commitment, long-term engagement, and resources.

Together, Finity and our team have participated in capacity-building and knowledge exchange workshops with LALCs in Hay, Brewarrina, and across the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. These collaborations have created opportunities for thoughtful conversations about how communities want to manage land into the future under conditions of climate change.

Importantly, the climate risk information and modelling being shared with LALCs is the same level of expertise and strategic insight typically available to banks, insurers, and large institutions - an important step toward addressing longstanding inequalities in access to technical knowledge and decision-making tools.

A particularly important area of discussion has been the limits of conventional insurance and climate risk frameworks, which often reduce risk to financial value alone. Our work together has explored how cultural values held by LALCs - including scar trees, totems, missions, reserves, and places of ongoing community significance - might be better recognised within climate risk and insurance models.

We appreciate Finity’s willingness to engage respectfully with Aboriginal communities and to think critically about how Western models of risk and insurance might evolve to better reflect Aboriginal relationships to Country.

Collaborative paper:
https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/mcs/article/view/9634/8622

Related work published by Actuaries Institute:
https://www.actuaries.asn.au/research-analysis/rivers-of-prosperity

Strong turnout in Sydney today as members of the Aboriginal land rights network gathered to oppose the proposed Crown Lands Management Amendment Bill in NSW.

Many Aboriginal organisations and Local Aboriginal Land Councils have raised concerns that the proposed changes could weaken protections under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act and affect future land claims.

Research undertaken through the Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group has examined the operation of Aboriginal land rights in NSW over many years, including the ways policy design and administrative processes shape Aboriginal access to land, governance authority, and agreement-making.

It was powerful to see so many familiar faces from across the network come together in support of land rights and Aboriginal self-determination.

Background information:
https://alc.org.au/crown-land-management-amendment-bill/

Petition:
https://www.change.org/p/oppose-the-crown-land-management-amendment-bill-2026-to-stop-its-progress

🌍 Clean energy - but at what cost?

Indigenous leaders are warning that the shift to renewable energy must not come at the expense of Indigenous lands.

At a global conference, leaders highlighted that while fossil fuels have caused long-standing harm, renewable energy projects and mining for critical minerals can also threaten land, water and communities if not done properly.

The message is simple: moving away from fossil fuels should not mean repeating the same patterns of extraction.

It’s a reminder that climate action and land justice need to go hand in hand.

🔗 Read the article:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/27/clean-energy-switch-must-not-be-excuse-to-plunder-indigenous-lands-say-leaders

Clean energy switch must not be excuse to plunder Indigenous lands, say leaders Global conference told benefits should not come at expense of well-protected environments

The NSW Labor Government has proposed reforms that risk the future of Aboriginal Land Rights in NSW.

Background: On 17 March 2026, the NSW Government introduced the Crown Land Management Amendment (Statutory Review) Bill 2026 into Parliament.

The Government has been dishonest in how they have presented Aboriginal land claims, and the need for reform, to the public.

The Bill was introduced without consultation with Aboriginal land councils and described as 'minor' and 'procedural'. The proposed reforms carry serious implications for the right to recover land under the ALRA.

Less than a fraction of 1% of land has been recovered by Aboriginal communities in NSW and the processing of land claims has lacked political will (there are about 44k land claims awaiting government attention!). Reducing the backlog of Aboriginal land claims by stealth is not the answer.

Consider signing the petition below and join Aboriginal Land Councils from across NSW in protest against the Government’s proposed changes on Wednesday, 6 May 2026 at 11.30am. Meet at the northern end of Hyde Park near the Archibald Fountain.

Link to NSWALC's petition:

Sign the Petition Oppose the Crown Land Management Amendment Bill 2026 to stop its progress