British Royals not Listening to Australians in 1972

The National Archives of Australia, the repository of Commonwealth Government records, presents a copy of the Larrakia petition from its collection to the Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation.  Signed by hundreds of Indigenous people, the petition appealed to Queen Elizabeth II, now Queen of  Australia, to help Aboriginal people gain land rights and political representation.  It reads in part: “Today, we are refugees in the country of our ancestors. We live in refugee camps without land, without employment, without justice.”  In October 1972, the Larrakia people tried to hand this petition to Princess Margaret while she was in Darwin. After waiting 24 hours to meet with the Princess and being ignored, they tried to break through a police barricade but failed. [NAA e-newsletter ‘news@archives’ November 2013]