Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
In 1966, South Australia passed the Aboriginal Lands Trust Act. It was the first piece of legislation (law) in Australia to recognise Aboriginal land rights and allow for Aboriginal groups to be given land based on how they had lived there. No other state or territory would enact anything like it until 10 years later. In 1976, the Pitjantjatjara Council made an formal claim to the lands around the Musgrave Ranges. It was done on behalf of all Aṉangu with historical connections to the area. Premier Don Dunstan and his government proposed a bill to parliament in 1978, intending to grant the Pitjantjatjara rights to their land. However, opal miners strongly objected to the proposal. They had set up mining camps at Mintabie, within the area that would be given to the Aṉangu. The government changed after state elections in 1979. The new government of David Tonkin had years of negotiations with the Pitjantjatjara Council and the miners at Mintabie. A parliamentary committee produced a final decision on 2 March 1981. It said that the Mintabie area should be included in the grant of land, but be leased back to the government so that mining can continue there. The bill was approved by parliament on the same day.