Proposed sale and potential removal of Aboriginal objects from South Australia

Consultation has concluded

If you are a Traditional Owner or an Aboriginal party with an interest in any of the objects proposed for sale, we want to hear from you.

What's being decided?

Mr Geoffrey Pope (the Applicant) seeks authorisations under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA) (Act) so that he can sell 49 lots of objects, which in the opinion of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation (AAR), include Aboriginal objects, and to remove them from South Australia if required for their sale.

Your views will help decide whether the authorisations should be granted to the Applicant to sell and potentially remove these objects from South Australia.

Background

The South Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (the Minister), who is responsible for the Act, has received an application for authorisations under sections 29(1)(a) and 29(1)(b) from the Applicant.

Section 29(1)(a) makes it an offence to sell an Aboriginal object in South Australia without prior authorisation from the Minister. Section 29(1)(b) makes it an offence to remove an Aboriginal object from the state without authorisation.

The objects are made of either stone or wood. The Applicant advises that he acquired most of them in South Australia between 1965 and 1976. His collection also includes objects acquired from the Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria. It is likely that some objects originated from places other than where they were acquired.

See relevant location information for the lots below:

South Australia

Andamooka; Avenue Range; Barton; Beachport; Coopers Creek; Coorong; Flinders Ranges; Kaltjiti / Fregon; Gawler Ranges; Hall Bay; Hunchee; Lake Frome; Lameroo; Lucindale; Millicent; Moonta; Murray's Lagoon (Kangaroo Island); Nalyappa; Nappers Bridge; Nonning Gorge/Station; Oraparinna; South East region; Tumby Bay; Wallaroo; Wirreandra Creek; Wirulla and Woomera.

Interstate

Mparntwe / Alice Springs (NT); Carnegie (WA); Central Australia (general); the Kimberly region (WA); Queensland (general); Mount Isa (QLD); Tennant Creek (NT) and Victoria (general).

Get involved

Section 13 of the Act requires the Minister to consult with relevant Traditional Owners, the State Aboriginal Heritage Committee (Committee) and any other Aboriginal people or organisations that he considers may have an interest in this matter.

If you are a Traditional Owner or an interested Aboriginal party, please read the Consultation Information Pack and Consultation Notice and consider responding to at least the following questions:

  1. In your view, do any of the 49 lots contain Aboriginal objects within the meaning of the Act? If so, which lots?
  2. Should the authorisations sought be granted to the Applicant? Why or why not?
  3. If the authorisations are granted, what conditions, if any, should be imposed on them?
  4. If the authorisations are not granted, what would you like to see happen to any Aboriginal objects within the lots?
  5. What else should the Minister consider when deciding this application?

If you wish to learn more, to lodge a submission and/or be notified once a decision in this matter has been made, you can:

    • Call us on (08) 7424 6674
    • Email your feedback to AAR.CIR@sa.gov.au
    • Post your feedback to:
      • Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation
        Attorney-General’s Department
        GPO Box 464, ADELAIDE SA 5001

See the Consultation Information Pack and Consultation Notice for further details on how to lodge a verbal or written submission.

What are the next steps?

  • We will forward your submissions in full to the Applicant for comment. You may request that we keep any cultural information in your submission confidential. We will facilitate these requests, where possible, in line with procedural fairness principles.
  • Once the public consultation has closed, we will forward your submissions and the Applicant’s comments to the Committee, for their views.
  • We will collate and present all submissions, the Applicant’s responses, the Committee’s advice, and our recommendations to the Minister to decide the application.

If you are a Traditional Owner or an Aboriginal party with an interest in any of the objects proposed for sale, we want to hear from you.

What's being decided?

Mr Geoffrey Pope (the Applicant) seeks authorisations under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA) (Act) so that he can sell 49 lots of objects, which in the opinion of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation (AAR), include Aboriginal objects, and to remove them from South Australia if required for their sale.

Your views will help decide whether the authorisations should be granted to the Applicant to sell and potentially remove these objects from South Australia.

Background

The South Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (the Minister), who is responsible for the Act, has received an application for authorisations under sections 29(1)(a) and 29(1)(b) from the Applicant.

Section 29(1)(a) makes it an offence to sell an Aboriginal object in South Australia without prior authorisation from the Minister. Section 29(1)(b) makes it an offence to remove an Aboriginal object from the state without authorisation.

The objects are made of either stone or wood. The Applicant advises that he acquired most of them in South Australia between 1965 and 1976. His collection also includes objects acquired from the Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria. It is likely that some objects originated from places other than where they were acquired.

See relevant location information for the lots below:

South Australia

Andamooka; Avenue Range; Barton; Beachport; Coopers Creek; Coorong; Flinders Ranges; Kaltjiti / Fregon; Gawler Ranges; Hall Bay; Hunchee; Lake Frome; Lameroo; Lucindale; Millicent; Moonta; Murray's Lagoon (Kangaroo Island); Nalyappa; Nappers Bridge; Nonning Gorge/Station; Oraparinna; South East region; Tumby Bay; Wallaroo; Wirreandra Creek; Wirulla and Woomera.

Interstate

Mparntwe / Alice Springs (NT); Carnegie (WA); Central Australia (general); the Kimberly region (WA); Queensland (general); Mount Isa (QLD); Tennant Creek (NT) and Victoria (general).

Get involved

Section 13 of the Act requires the Minister to consult with relevant Traditional Owners, the State Aboriginal Heritage Committee (Committee) and any other Aboriginal people or organisations that he considers may have an interest in this matter.

If you are a Traditional Owner or an interested Aboriginal party, please read the Consultation Information Pack and Consultation Notice and consider responding to at least the following questions:

  1. In your view, do any of the 49 lots contain Aboriginal objects within the meaning of the Act? If so, which lots?
  2. Should the authorisations sought be granted to the Applicant? Why or why not?
  3. If the authorisations are granted, what conditions, if any, should be imposed on them?
  4. If the authorisations are not granted, what would you like to see happen to any Aboriginal objects within the lots?
  5. What else should the Minister consider when deciding this application?

If you wish to learn more, to lodge a submission and/or be notified once a decision in this matter has been made, you can:

    • Call us on (08) 7424 6674
    • Email your feedback to AAR.CIR@sa.gov.au
    • Post your feedback to:
      • Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation
        Attorney-General’s Department
        GPO Box 464, ADELAIDE SA 5001

See the Consultation Information Pack and Consultation Notice for further details on how to lodge a verbal or written submission.

What are the next steps?

  • We will forward your submissions in full to the Applicant for comment. You may request that we keep any cultural information in your submission confidential. We will facilitate these requests, where possible, in line with procedural fairness principles.
  • Once the public consultation has closed, we will forward your submissions and the Applicant’s comments to the Committee, for their views.
  • We will collate and present all submissions, the Applicant’s responses, the Committee’s advice, and our recommendations to the Minister to decide the application.