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Aboriginal Tent Embassy
The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is a permanent protest occupation where residing activists claim to represent the political rights of Aboriginal Australians. It was first established in 1972 and is made up of signs and tents on the lawn opposite Old Parliament House in Canberra, the Australian capital. It is not considered an official embassy by the Australian Government.
On 26 January 1972, four Aboriginal men (Michael Anderson, Billy Craigie, Tony Coorey and Bertie Williams) arrived in Canberra from Sydney to establish the Aboriginal Embassy by planting a beach umbrella on the lawn in front of Parliament House (now Old Parliament House). The Embassy was established in response to the McMahon Coalition Government's refusal to recognise Aboriginal land rights or native title in Australia. McMahon instead favoured a new general-purpose lease for Aboriginal people which would be conditional upon their "intention and ability to make reasonable economic and social use of land", while reserving for the Crown rights to minerals and forestry.
