# Uluru handback (26 October 1985)

URL: https://allhistories.com/australia/timeline/1985-uluru-handback
Location: Uluru, Northern Territory
Themes: First Peoples

On 26 October 1985, at a ceremony at the base of Uluru, the Governor-General, Sir Ninian Stephen, handed the title deeds of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to its Anangu traditional owners, the Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara peoples. Under the agreement, the Anangu immediately leased the park back to the Commonwealth's national parks agency for 99 years, to be managed jointly. Hundreds of Anangu, officials and visitors attended, and the handover was greeted with celebration and dancing. Uluru had been named Ayers Rock by the surveyor William Gosse in 1873, and the area was later made a reserve and a tourist destination. Anangu had pressed for recognition of their ownership for many years, but the park had been excluded from claims under the Northern Territory land rights law. The Hawke government legislated to grant the title despite opposition from the Northern Territory government. Joint management became a model for other national parks, including Kakadu. Anangu long asked visitors not to climb Uluru because of its spiritual significance, and the park board decided in 2017 to end the climb, which closed permanently on 26 October 2019, the 34th anniversary of the handback. The site is World Heritage listed for both its natural and cultural values.

## Why it matters
The handback recognised Anangu ownership of Australia's most famous landmark and created a model of joint park management.

Ruler at the Time: [Elizabeth II](https://allhistories.com/australia/rulers/elizabeth-ii)

Prime Minister: Bob Hawke (Labor Party)
Governor-General: Sir Ninian Stephen

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulu%E1%B9%9Fu-Kata_Tju%E1%B9%AFa_National_Park)
- [Wikipedia — Uluru](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Uluru](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Uluru)