Outstation (Aboriginal community)

An outstation is a very small, permanent community of Aboriginal Australian people. These communities are usually far away from towns and are connected by kinship. They are often found on land that is important to them for cultural or traditional reasons.

The outstation movement began in the 1970s and 1980s when Aboriginal people chose to move away from towns to these special places. This movement helped them stay connected to their land and culture. Many of these moves were supported by the government, and people often felt better after moving.

What started with just a few families grew into larger, successful communities. Today, many outstations are thriving because traditional owners care for the land and keep their cultural traditions strong. These places are also known as homelands.

Outstation movement

In the 1970s and 1980s, many Aboriginal people moved from towns to small, remote settlements called outstations. They did this to live more independently and take care of themselves. They chose these places to stay close to their ancestral lands and sacred sites, or to live off the land and avoid problems in larger towns.

At first, governments supported these moves because they saw benefits for health, culture, and keeping the strong connection Aboriginal people have to their land. Over time, these small communities grew. Some had just a few families, while others had more than 100 people. Some outstations have local economies based on art, nature work, and harvesting, while others rely on support from the government.

Terminology

Words used for these small Aboriginal communities have changed over time and can differ across Australia. In 2009, the government of the Northern Territory said that “homelands” is the preferred name in some areas, but not all. They suggested using “outstations” or “homelands” to describe these places, choosing the word that fits best for each location. The Northern Territory still uses the term “Homeland Learning Centres” for special schools that help people living in these small communities learn and grow.

1987 report

In 1987, leaders looked at how Aboriginal people lived in small, faraway communities called homelands or outstations. They wanted to find ways to help these places.

On May 14, 1987, they shared what they found in a report named Return to country: the Aboriginal homelands movement in Australia. They talked about how homelands were small groups of families and friends who moved back to land important to their culture and history. The report showed the good points of these homelands and gave 58 ideas to make life better for the people there. It said moving to these places helped make life better for the people living there.

1990s–2000s

Funding for outstations was expensive, and as government ideas changed, they were thought to use too many resources. By the 1990s, it became difficult to provide services to these small, faraway communities. From 1990, outstations were mostly funded by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

In 2005, major policy changes occurred. Responsibility for outstations was returned to the Northern Territory. By 2009, there were 560 small communities with fewer than 100 people each, mostly on Aboriginal-owned land. The Northern Territory Government said it valued these communities but asked residents to work toward being more self-sufficient. It would still support existing outstations with fresh water and schools, but new communities needed to fund themselves.

2010s

In 2013, a leader in the Northern Territory said that about 10,000 people lived in small, faraway places called homelands. These places were important for the health and happiness of Indigenous people, and the government promised to help them fairly.

In 2014, the government in Western Australia decided to stop giving money to some remote communities because they didn’t have enough funds. By 2018, there were about 1,200 of these small communities across Australia, helping to keep traditions, languages, and connections strong for many people.

Present and future

Small groups of Aboriginal Australian people still live in places today. These places are often called settlements instead of outstations. They get money from special grants, from residents, or from companies that look for minerals on their land.

As of September 2020, there were about 500 such homelands in the Northern Territory with around 10,000 people living there. The Northern Territory Government helps these communities by paying for things like housing repairs and basic needs. However, some schools and services still did not have enough money. In 2015, the government promised to fully support these homelands. By October 2021, the government asked for faster help with building better homes because some places were in very bad condition.

Examples

Outstations are small, faraway places where Aboriginal Australian people live. Many of these places are in the Northern Territory, such as Kaltukatjara, Ntaria, Maningrida, and Utopia (Urapuntja and Amengernterneah).

Other outstations are in Queensland near Aurukun, Weipa, Doomadgee, and on Mornington Island. In South Australia, examples include Pipalyatjara, Mimili, Kaltjiti, and Pukatja. Western Australia has outstations such as the Warmun Community, Balgo, Halls Creek, Warakurna, and Wanarn.