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Aboriginal peoples had been living in the Northern Territory practising their laws and customs, trading with their neighbours and forming their governments since time immemorial.
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In 1824 the first Europeans to arrive in the Northern Territory established a short lived military camp on Melville Island.
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In 1872 the discovery of gold and building of the telegraph line connecting Darwin and Alice Springs to England resulted in opening up Territory land to more Europeans. In many cases, Aboriginal people fought to repel the new comers.
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In 1928 a famous incident occurred, 300 kilometres northwest of Alice Springs when up to 100 Aboriginal people are reported to have been killed in the Coniston Massacre.
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In 1962 Aboriginal people were given the right to vote, sixty years after it had been taken away by Commonwealth legislation in 1902.
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In 1963 the Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land presented a ‘petition’ to the Australian Parliament in the form of a bark painting calling for their land rights.
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In 1966 the Gurindji people led 200 Aboriginal cattle workers and their families in a walk off from Wave Hill Station over unpaid and unequal wages. The strike lasted nine years and eventually contributed to the recognition of the Gurindji land claim.
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In 1967 a referendum result allowed for Aboriginal people to be counted in the census and for the Commonwealth to enact any specific legislation for people of any race including Aboriginal people.
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In 1971 traditional land owners lost their case at Gove when the Supreme Court declared Australia had been uninhabited land when Europeans arrived.
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In 1976, the new Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act established the Northern, and Central Land Councils and new systems of land management for Aboriginal Territorians. The Tiwi Land Council was gazetted in 1978 and the Anindilyakwa Land Council was incorporated in 1991.
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In 1992 the landmark Mabo decision of the High Court found that Australia had not been uninhabited land after all and recognised native title for the first time.
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In 1993 the Native Title Act was passed to recognise the findings of Mabo and set up a process for determining native title claims.
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In 1996 the High Court found in the Wik decision that native title can still exist with other land interests like pastoral leases.
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In 1998 the Land Councils declared their opposition to Statehood until such time as the NT Government negotiated Aboriginal interests in regard to Statehood.
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In 2005 the Statehood Steering Committee will recommence consultations with Aboriginal Territorians about Statehood.
