40 years of the APY Lands Act

Forty years on, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981 remains unprecedented in Australian lands rights history. Initially called the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act, it gave traditional owners inalienable freehold title to their land in the far north-west of South Australia. Members of APY determine how the 103,000 square kilometres of land is managed by an executive board, which reports directly to Premier Steven Marshall. Although celebrations have been postponed to April 22, APY general manager Richard King reflected on the past, present and future of the region.