This site is being preserved as it was on 17 September 2001 as a memorial to the life and work of Eberhard Wenzel.
Website by Eberhard Wenzel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.





Aboriginal Flag        Torres Strait Islander Flag
Indigenous Peoples of Australia:
Social Development


  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission - "The goal of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission is to secure the empowerment of our people so that, through self-determination, we can make decisions that affect our lives and share in Australia's land, wealth and resources, contributing equitably to the nation's economic, social and political life, with full recognition of our indigenous cultural heritage as the First Australians"
  • Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee (Western Australia) - "The beginning of the cause of deaths in custody does not occur within the confines of police and prison cells or in the minds of the victims. Initially it starts in the minds of those who allow it to happen."
  • Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council (NSW) - "provides advice to the NSW Government on law and justice issues affecting Aboriginal people. It is structured into a central council, and six regional councils based on the six ATSIC regions of NSW"
  • Aboriginal Tent Embassy - "The Aboriginal Tent Embassy, on the lawns opposite Old Parliament House, is the longest standing protest site in Australia. Set in the memorial parade on the sterile lawns of the parliamentary triangle in the nation's capital, Canberra, the Tent Embassy is an embarrassing reminder of national shame and the genocidal policies being perpetrated against Aboriginal Peoples. The spread of tents, humpies and sheds is a constant reminder to the Australian government of the living conditions of grassroots Aboriginal people and the unpeaceful 'settlement' and invasion of Aboriginal lands and territories. The Embassy stands for the stuggle for freedom, independance, justice and peace"
  • Action for Aboriginal Rights - "If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time ... But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." Lilla Watson, A Brisbane based Aboriginal educator and activist.
  • A Room for Aboriginal Australia - a web-site by the journalist Jani Roberts who reports on the history and politics of Australian governments vis-a-vis the Indigenous Peoples of the country
  • Australian Aboriginal Diggers - "dedicated to all Indigenous Australians who have served Australia in war and peacetime . . ."
  • Australians for Native Title - an initiative which came up with the "Sorry Books" to give ordinary Australians the chance to record their personal aplogies for past wrongs done to indigenous Australians.
  • Cape York Land Council - "to advance the self-determination of Aboriginal people in Cape York Peninsula. The core responsibility of the Council is to assist Aboriginal people of Cape York Peninsula to obtain the return of their traditional lands"
  • Central Land Council - "The Central Land Council is a statutory authority. This means the land council has a number of statutory responsibilities under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. Some of the main responsibilities in Section 23 of the Act are:
    • To find out and express the views of Aboriginal people in its area.
    • To protect the interests of traditional Aboriginal land owners.
    • To assist Aboriginal people to protect sacred sites in the central area.
    • To consult to traditional landowners about proposals relating to the use of their land.
    • To negotiate on behalf of traditional landowners.
    • To help traditional landowners with land claims, including arranging and providing legal assistance"

  • Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) - located at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, this is a multi-disciplinary social sciences research centre "with a primary focus on Indigenous Australian economic policy and economic development issues, including native title and land rights, social justice, and the socioeconomic status of Indigenous Australians. Established in 1990, CAEPR is funded by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), the Department of Social Security (DSS), and the ANU
  • Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation - "The Council comprises 25 members, of whom 12 are Aboriginal, two are Torres Strait Islander, and 11 are drawn from the wider Australian community. The Government, the Opposition and the Australian Democrats in the Commonwealth Parliament are represented among the wider community participants. The Council has adopted a vision statement which has guided all its endeavours: A united Australia which respects this land of ours; values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage; and provides justice and equity for all"
  • Deaths in Custody Watch Committee - "a broad-based community organisation reflecting both an Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal commitment to ensure the effective implementation of the 339 Recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths In Custody (RCIADIC). The Recommendations, handed down in May 1991, continue to be largely ignored by governments. The words, spirit and intent of the Royal Commissioners was not only to stem the alarming custodial death rate of Aboriginal people, but also to reduce the high arrest and incarceration rates for Aboriginal peoples. This Committee claims that of the 212 recommendations relating to the Criminal Justice System in WA, only 10% have been implemented"
  • Ending Offending - Our Message - "This site allows you, the public, an opportunity to see what goes on inside Northern Territory Correctional facilities. It also provides prisoners with an opportunity to address their offending behaviour in a positive and constructive way and to give something back to their community"
  • FAIRA - "Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA) is a community-based Aboriginal organisation. FAIRA was originally incorporated on 5 April 1977 as "the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action Ltd", under the Queensland Companies Act. It was incorporated under the Aboriginal Councils and Association Act, 1976, on 14 October 1993. The membership of FAIRA comprises some seventy people from throughout Queensland. FAIRA is managed by an Executive Board which comprises thirteen elected members, with a representative from each ATSIC Regional Council area. FAIRA is based in Brisbane, but the country board members ensure that FAIRA is in touch with Aboriginal communities throughout Queensland"
  • Frontier Online - A national forum for discussing White Australia's forgotten war; this is an educational program of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the site contains important historical material
  • House of Representatives, Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
  • Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

  • Jabiluka Action Group - "We all have an opportunity to act now. Kakadu National Park defines Australia's environmental identity. Australia cannot wait until this threat strikes at the very heart of our environmental future. This development will recklessly contaminate a priceless natural treasure. Mining will not solve the economic problems of Australia, short-term private company profits cannot be measured against values which guarantee our survival. This is not a matter of convenience we have to halt the exploitation of Australia's greatest natural resource. We seek the commitment of all Australian's to protect the future of our lands and in so doing guarantee the heritage of future generations. We ask you to support us and make your opinions known to the Federal government about the proposed Jabiluka mine. Help us maintain our heritage and preserve Kakadu National Park for the enjoyment of all Australian's"
  • Journey of Healing - "In 1999 the National Sorry Day Committee launched the Journey of Healing. Local communities have come together in initiatives, developed by members of the stolen generations and aimed at helping those whose lives have been shattered as a result of the removal policies. Journey of Healing 2001 aims to engender a national determination to heal their wounds and overcome their disadvantage"
  • Edward Koiki Mabo (1936-1992) - this link by the National Library of Australia provides access to papers written by Mabo, the indigenous leader whose success regarding Native Title still haunts White Man's Australia
  • National Native Title Tribunal - "a Commonwealth Government body established under the Native Title Act 1993 to facilitate the making of agreements among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, governments, industry and others whose rights or interests may co-exist with native title rights and interests. The Tribunal is not a court and does not decide whether or not native title exists"
  • Noongar Land Council - "an Incorporated Aboriginal Association that achieved Representative Body status in 1993 under the Native Title Act. The Noongar Land Council’s mission is:
    • to support and promote Noongar culture.
    • to improve the well being of Noongar people.
    • to alleviate poverty and disadvantage for Noongar people.
    • to secure land and protect Noongar heritage.
    • to make policy on Noongar Land in accordance with Noongar traditions.
    • to seek legal, political and historical recognition for Noongar people.
  • Northern Land Council - the Indigenous Peoples' fight for their own land - an extensive and exciting web-site, highly recommended
  • Office of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner - "established by the Federal Government in response to issues of discrimination and disadvantage highlighted by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's National Inquiry into Racist Violence. The Commission's goal is to achieve the practical enjoyment of human rights by Indigenous Australians"
  • Pitjantjatjara Council - an incorporation of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara member communities
  • Reconciliation and Social Justice Library - the Library provides access to the report "Bringing them home. National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families". This is a horrific document about racism in Australia. But the Library provides further material on living conditions of Aboriginal peoples of Australia - highly recommended
  • Torres Strait Regional Authority - "a Commonwealth statutory authority established in 1994 under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 (the Act). The TSRA aims to strengthen the economic, social and cultural development of the Torres Strait to improve the lifestyle and wellbeing of Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people living in the region. The Authority's vision is to empower Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people to determine their own affairs based on the unique Ailan Kastom (Island Custom) bilong Torres Strait which is the source of unity and strength"


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