1980s

Lois Birk is employed at the Royal Far West Children’s Home as Aboriginal Co-Ordinator. She then moves to Fisher Road Special School. Yvonne Bolton begins 25 years at the Royal Far West Childrens Home and is active in reconciliation issues.

Susan Moylan-Coombs works with Manly Council from the Community Office on Social Plan for Indigenous people in Northern Beaches.

1986

The first Land Rights claims are made on Northern region lands under the 1983 Aboriginal Land Rights Act. The Sydney Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council makes claims for parcels of vacant crown land. The 108 claims cover land around Oxford Falls, Belrose, Terrey Hills, Duffys Forest, Mona Vale Rd near St Ives Showground, Myoora Rd and Middle Creek near Narrabeen Lagoon.

A burial is discovered at Avalon Angophora reserve rock shelter site 1 km from coast in Avalon. Remains include a fully articulated woman’s skeleton and her 6 month old baby skeleton in her arms. The woman has a gypsum cap (clay) on her head used for mourning the dead. Two children are also buried in the rock shelter. The skeletons are ritually reburied in 1986 by Aboriginal Site Officers to acknowledge traditional respect for not disturbing the dead. (McDonald 1992)

PLEASE NOTE

All the video recordings on this website were made at least a decade ago. Some are fifteen years old.

What the speakers say on camera was based on their own knowledge and researches at the time each video was made. Since then a great deal of information has come to hand which may make some of the information first recorded now outdated. Therefore please regard this website as a period piece presenting knowledge held and believed at the time of recording.