How did the Aboriginal Lands Act of 1995 affect Tasmanian Aboriginal communities?

The Aboriginal Lands Act of 1995 served as a pivotal legislative step in the pursuit of land rights for the Tasmanian Aboriginal people.

Following the emergence of a strong movement for Aboriginal rights in the 1970s, this act enabled the Tasmanian government to begin returning control of culturally and historically significant sites to the Aboriginal community. A notable outcome of this process occurred in 2005, when control of most of Cape Barren Island—a location central to the survival of Aboriginal identity following the colonial era—was returned to the community.1