The De Rose Hill – Ipalka Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC administers land on behalf of the Nguraritja people of the Western Desert in north-west South Australia. Their ownership over the land was recognised in the De Rose Hill native title determination of 2005. This determination arose from a native title claim filed in 1994 by 12 people on behalf of the Nguraritja over three pastoral leases known as De Rose Hill station. De Rose Hill is adjacent to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal freehold lands in the far north west of South Australia. At trial the Nguraritja were found not to possess native title because they lacked sufficient connection to the claimed land. On appeal, however, that decision was overturned as the Full Federal Court of Australia held that the wrong test for connection had been applied at trial. They held that the trial judge had placed too much importance upon the claimant’s physical absence from the area as it had been caused by their need to seek work and due to pastoralists’ active attempts to exclude them from their traditional lands through intimidation. In 2013 a confidential compensation settlement was reached regarding loss of land and damage to sacred sites before native title was granted in 2005.

Email: TimG@nativetitlesa.org