80-579: Hindmarsh Island ( Ngarrindjeri : Kumerangk ) is an inland river island located in the lower Murray River near the town of Goolwa , South Australia . The island is a tourist destination, which has increased in popularity since the opening of the Hindmarsh Island bridge in 2001. Hindmarsh Island is 100.1 kilometres (62.2 miles) south east of the Adelaide city centre , around a 1-hour and 15 minute drive. Prior to European colonisation,
160-660: A 25-year ban on the bridge construction putting the marina in doubt and bringing the Chapmans close to bankruptcy. In February 1995 the Chapmans initiated a legal challenge of the ban in the Federal Court. Although the Judge praised Saunders report and criticised the Chapman's litigation, the Judge overturned the ban on a legal technicality . The media had heavily criticised the ban and focused on Tickner issuing it based on
240-466: A 25-year ban on the building of a bridge. That ban was overturned on a technicality. The veracity of the proponent's women story was not at issue. They had told their story and been believed but the Minister had erred in the manner in which he had dealt with the material. The Ngarrindjeri brought another application under the federal heritage act in 1995–6. This time Senator Rosemary Crowley appointed
320-705: A bridge and related activities in the Hindmarsh Island bridge area. Doreen Kartinyeri and Neville Gollan, speaking on behalf of the Ngarrindjeri people, challenged the legislation in the High Court. They argued that section 51(xxvi) of the Constitution as amended by the 1967 referendum only authorised laws for the benefit of the people of the Aboriginal race. Five judges held that the Bridge Act
400-656: A common descent from original inhabitants of this region-- even though their traditional identifying labels have been lost." In 1864, the publication of the Ngarrindjerri Bible was the first time portions of the Bible were translated into an Aboriginal language . 8 Genesis 2:8 follows in Ngarrindjerri from the 1864 translation and a literal English translation. " Jehovah winmin gardenowe Edenald, kile yuppun ityan korn gardenungai. " "Jehovah God planted
480-433: A dialect ). Berndt , Berndt & Stanton (1993) wrote: "The appropriate traditional categorisation of the whole group was Kukabrak: this term, as we mention again below, was used by these people to differentiate themselves from neighbours whom they regarded as being socio-culturally and linguistically dissimilar. However, the term Narrinyeri has been used consistently in the literature and by Aborigines today who recognise
560-425: A fertility site, and for other reasons that could not be publicly revealed. An anthropologist, Dr Deane Fergie, prepared an assessment of the women's claims, which was then submitted to Saunders. As a part of this process some of these cultural secrets were written down and sealed in two envelopes marked Confidential: to be read by women only and forwarded to Tickner with the assessment. On 10 July 1994, Tickner placed
640-501: A garden in Eden, toward the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed." The last fluent speaker of Ngarrindjerri died in the 1960s, but there have been attempts to revive the language in the 21st century, including the release of a Ngarrindjeri dictionary in 2009. The work of Lutheran missionaries Christian Teichelmann and Clamor Schürmann in the early days of the colonisation of South Australia have contributed enormously to
720-468: A limit of $ 3 million. In September 1990 Beneficial Finance decided to withdraw funding and the Chapmans approached Partnership Pacific, a subsidiary of Westpac , to take over the financing. Partnership Pacific agreed but only with the condition that the State Government paid the entire cost of the bridge. A secret meeting was arranged between the Chapmans, Westpac and the government at which it
800-484: A majority of the island's inhabitants, variously opposed the government funding of a project for the benefit of private developers, the urbanisation of Hindmarsh Island and/or the effects it would have on the natural environment had also voiced their opposition. Initiating legal action in April 1994 they applied to the federal government for an order prohibiting construction. On 12 May, shortly before construction began, at
880-586: A much-needed bridge to replace their ferry and the government had agreed to build it. Seeking a way out of the Hindmarsh Island contract , Premier Brown hired Samuel Jacobs QC , to carry out an investigation into the legal responsibilities of the contract. Shortly before the 1993 elections the Labor government had instructed archaeologist, Dr Neil Draper, to survey Hindmarsh Island and the mainland foreshore for Aboriginal sites . Justice Jacobs, unaware of Draper's survey, finished his report in early 1994, concluding there
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#1732775407469960-643: A personal letter to the Managing Director of Westpac, Stewart Fowler, guaranteeing government financing of the bridge and in February 1991, Cabinet approved the funding agreement as outlined in the Premier's letter. Initially the government had no liability beyond paying half the cost of the bridge. Unfortunately, Premier Bannon's letter had created an unintended liability for the State government. Not only
1040-482: A position on the claims, stated that additional evidence discovered since the von Doussa judgement had changed his view. "I still allow that aspects of these beliefs may have been embellished or given greater weight than before ... but the patterns and matches with earlier materials on some strands makes the overall fabrication theory insupportable." In September 2002, redevelopment of the Goolwa wharf, which lay adjacent
1120-537: A project for the sole benefit of private developers, led South Australian Legislative Council member and leader of the Australian Democrats , Mike Elliott , to call for a Parliamentary inquiry into the bridge and the financial arrangements between the government and Westpac. One of its terms of reference dealt specifically with the propriety of the government's decision in conferring private benefits at taxpayers' expense. The inquiries’ findings criticised
1200-488: A senior Ngarrendjeri Elder, in November 1989 this was prior to the planning permission for the bridge being granted on condition of additional consultation. In the Federal Court hearing in 1994, Wendy Chapman gave evidence that the page of the letter setting out these additional consultation requirements was missing from the Minister's letter she had received (the same recommendations were also included in an assessment sent to
1280-710: A woman judge, Jane Mathews, to be the reporter and thus the proponent women would be able to include knowledge restricted to women without violating their cultural rules. However, the Mathews Report was not able to run its full course. In 1996 the Howard Liberal government came to power and Minister Herron refused to appoint a woman to receive the report. Then, following the Federal Court judgment in Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs v Western Australia , Mathews (1996: 43–6) made it plain that
1360-425: Is a medium-sized island off the east coast of the island. Mundoo Island is a privately owned cattle station. The road acts also as a barrage to prevent the river water flowing through Murray Mouth into the ocean. Area: 13.4 square kilometres (5.2 square miles) Perimeter: 27.3 kilometres (17.0 miles) Distance from Hindmarsh Island: 103 metres (338 feet) Rat Island/Grindstone Island (35°31'12.59"S 138°57'34.83"E)
1440-619: Is a small private owned island 320 metres (1,050 feet) off the easternmost point of the island. It covers 13 hectares (32 acres) of land. Area: 12 hectares (29 acres) Perimeter: 1.8 kilometres (1.1 miles) Distance from Hindmarsh Island: 344 metres (1,129 feet) Varcoe Island (35°32'30.29"S 138°54'8.55"E) is an extremely small island, with a population of 0. Area: 913 square metres (9,830 square feet) Perimeter: 117 metres (384 feet) Distance from Hindmarsh Island: 380 metres (1,250 feet) Ngarrindjeri language Ngarrindjeri , also written Narrinyeri , Ngarinyeri and other variants,
1520-521: Is now extinct. Linguist Ghil'ad Zuckermann suggests that the original pronunciation of Ngarrindjeri had two distinct rhotic consonants : the first was rr (as in Italian) and the second was r (as in English). However, in revitalized Ngarrindjeri, both rhotics "are pronounced unlike English". Zuckermann analyses this phenomenon as over-applied, hypercorrect "emblematicity" due to Othering :
1600-641: Is sued as the person nominated by Mr Tickner under the Australian Heritage Protection Act to receive representations from interested members of the public and to prepare the report required by the Act concerning the application for protection. Luminis Pty Ltd (Luminis) and Dr Deane Fergie are sued in respect of their provision of consultancy services to the ALRM including the preparation of a report containing an anthropological evaluation of
1680-615: Is the language of the Ngarrindjeri and related peoples of southern South Australia . Five dialects have been distinguished by a 2002 study: Warki , Tanganekald , Ramindjeri , Portaulun and Yaraldi (or Yaralde Tingar ). Ngarrindjerri is Pama–Nyungan . McDonald (2002) distinguishes five dialects: Warki, Tanganekald, Ramindjeri, Portaulun and Yaraldi. Bowern (2011) lists the Yaraldi, Ngarrindjeri, and Ramindjeri varieties as separate languages. Tanganekald, also known as Thangal,
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#17327754074691760-610: The Environmental Defenders Office has called for the introduction of a "Protection of Public Participation Act" for South Australia. Based on North American legislation, the proposed Act would ensure that those engaged in non-violent public participation would be protected from threats or suits that infringe free speech. In early 2002, Peter Sutton , a former head of Anthropology of the South Australian Museum, who had been unable to take
1840-775: The Howard Government passed the Hindmarsh Island Bridge Act (1997) , which allowed construction to go ahead. The bridge was completed in March 2001. In August 2001, a civil case in the Federal Court of Australia re-ignited the debate. In rejecting claims for damages by the developers, Justice John von Doussa stated that he was not satisfied that the claims of "secret women's business" had been fabricated, although never explicitly stating them to be true. The Ngarrindjeri and their supporters took
1920-539: The State Government for assistance. Beneficial Finance, a subsidiary of the state owned State Bank of South Australia , had supplied the financing for the marina development. By 1990 it was obvious that the State Bank was having financial difficulties and The State Labor government led by Premier John Bannon was anxious to protect Beneficial's large investment in the Chapman's projects. The government
2000-729: The " Secret Women's Business " was made up. Construction was blocked by the Keating government but given the go-ahead by the Howard government in 1996. In 2001 a Federal Court Judge, Mr Justice John von Doussa, found in Chapman v Luminis Pty Ltd (No 5) that "the evidence received by the Court on this topic is significantly different to that which was before the Royal Commission. Upon the evidence before this Court I am not satisfied that
2080-519: The "history of the events, the anthropological evidence and the evidence of the dissident women" to draw this conclusion. The first Section 10 application brought by the so-called "proponent women" in 1994 under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 (Cth) succeeded. On the basis of the Report of Law Professor Cheryl Saunders (1994), Minister Robert Tickner declared
2160-549: The 30–40 clan-groups ( lakinyeri ) that inhabited South Australia at the time of white settlement. Originally numbering around 6,000 members, they are the only tribe in Australia whose land lay within 100 km (62 mi) of a capital city to have survived as a distinct people as recognised in the 2002 Kungun Ngarrindjeri Yunnan Agreement. In April 1990, the State Minister for Environment and Planning wrote to
2240-544: The Australian community at the time, and coincided with the Mabo and Wik High Court cases regarding native title in Australia . " Secret women's business ", as the group's claims became known, became the subject of intense legal battles. Some Ngarrindjeri women came forward to dispute the veracity of the claims. The Hindmarsh Island Royal Commission found that "secret women's business" had been fabricated. Subsequently,
2320-490: The Chapmans by the Department of Environment and Planning). She also stated her belief that as no skeletal remains had been found, no further consultation was required. The Hindmarsh Island marina was at this time losing money and the Chapmans were in financial difficulties due to the failure of another marina project they had built at Wellington . They could not afford to construct the bridge themselves so they approached
2400-440: The Chapmans granting them planning permission for the bridge to Hindmarsh Island and the extensions to their marina. The estimated cost of the bridge was around $ 6 million which was considerably more than the estimated value of the marina once completed. The planning permission was subject to a number of conditions, including the requirements for consultation with "relevant Aboriginal representative bodies" such as Ngarrendjeri Elders,
2480-453: The Chapmans had used SLAPP accusations to silence them. During the defamation case the defendants relied heavily on the defence of "fair comment upon a matter of public interest" and the " Lange Defence " ( / ˈ l ɒ ŋ i / LONG -ee – the constitutional right to freedom of speech on political matters). However the court found that these defences did not apply because the defendants were motivated by malice which had been proven by
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2560-573: The Environment Ian McLachlan was forced to resign after tabling some of the secret documents in Parliament misrepresenting how he obtained them and falsely claiming they had not been marked "Confidential". The envelope had been delivered to McLachlan's office in error and despite being clearly marked "Confidential: to be read by women only" had been read, photocopied and circulated among both male and female staff. In May 1995
2640-486: The Hindmarsh Island bridge, unearthed the remains of an Aboriginal woman and child. The site had been claimed to have been a burial ground by the proponent Ngarrindjeri women during the Royal Commission. However, the Alexandrina Council decided that as the wharf was South Australia's first inland port, colonial history should take precedence over Ngarrindjeri interests and construction went ahead. Legal action
2720-422: The Mathews Report of June 1996 nonetheless acknowledges that the area of the proposed bridge was of significance. The dissident Ngarrindjeri women sought a declaration from the High Court that the nomination of Justice Mathews as the reporter was incompatible with her commission as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia. On 6 September 1996, the majority of the court agreed that the appointment of Justice Mathews
2800-417: The Ngarrindjeri language: These are words for animals extinct since European colonisation: Secret Women%27s Business The Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy was a 1990s Australian legal and political controversy that involved the clash of local Aboriginal Australian sacred culture and property rights . A proposed bridge to Hindmarsh Island , near Goolwa, South Australia (intended to replace
2880-408: The Ngarrindjeri revivalists are trying to define themselves vis-à-vis the "Other", distancing themselves from "the colonizers' mother tongue, Australian English" (even at the expense of losing one of their own original rhotics). Other names include Jarildekald, Jaralde, Yarilde, Yarrildie, Jaraldi, Lakalinyeri, Warawalde, Yalawarre, Yarildewallin (although as mentioned above, Yaraldi is regarded as
2960-530: The Ngarrindjerri women had come about at the meeting of the Lower Murray Aboriginal Heritage Committee. Despite evidence that the island had been mentioned as a fertility site in 1967, predating the meeting, the Royal Commission found that the secret women's business was a fabrication for the purpose of obtaining protection under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 (Cth) . They considered
3040-635: The Raukkan Community Council, the Ngarrendjeri Lands and Progress Association, and the Lower Murray Heritage Committee. This was to become an issue in 1994 as the Chapmans had clearly not met these requirements. Although the Chapmans had done several environmental impact studies, submitted plans that included the bridge to the Raukkan Community Council and had also consulted with Henry Rankin,
3120-408: The Royal Commission of 1996 finding that the main bases for the Royal Commission conclusion were not established. In particular, the late emergence of the knowledge did not provide proof of fabrication and is expected in the case of genuine sacred information, lack of recording in the literature was not inconsistent with the material, that it was inappropriate to assert that a particular spiritual belief
3200-401: The act to authorise damage to the identified sites if required for the bridge to proceed . Work recommenced and a number of protestors were arrested. It has since been pointed out that Justice Jacobs and the government had missed an opportunity to cancel the bridge contract . They had overlooked that Aboriginal Heritage legislation overrides all contractual obligations . Many people, including
3280-433: The community. University of Adelaide linguist Robert Amery and his wife, Mary-Anne Gale, have helped to drive the project. The musical group Deadly Nannas (Nragi Muthar) have been writing and singing songs in Ngarrindjerri and English, and using them to help teach the language in schools and other venues. The Yaralde had the southernmost attested Australian Aboriginal sign language . The following words are from
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3360-407: The contents of sealed envelopes that he had never read. In fact Saunders' assessment had stressed that the contents were not needed to reach a decision, as there was enough evidence supporting their contents in the assessment and public domain. In fact, Tickner is on record in the February court case as stating that his decision was not based on the envelopes' contents. In March, Shadow Minister for
3440-405: The context of the 1967 amendment. Justice John von Doussa of the Federal Court heard from all parties to the dispute in the course of the action brought by the Chapmans. In the summary of his Reasons for Decision, von Doussa stated 5. This action seeks damages for losses allegedly suffered by Binalong from five respondents. Mr Tickner is sued as the former Minister. Professor Cheryl Saunders
3520-528: The council area where the Ngarrindjeri may have rights, interests or obligations. On 7 July 2010, in a ceremony at the foot of the bridge, the Government of South Australia endorsed the finding that the "secret women's business" was genuine. Ngarrindjeri elders then led a symbolic walk across the bridge. Elders now believe it is acceptable for Ngarrindjeri people to use the bridge to gain access to their land and waters, but culturally and morally still reject
3600-580: The decision as a vindication, and many organisations subsequently apologised. Opinion remains divided over the issue to the present day. In 1977, Adelaide developers Tom and Wendy Chapman, trading as Binalong Pty Ltd, purchased 30 hectares (74 acres) of land on Hindmarsh Island in the Murray River estuary and later received planning permission for their company to build a 560-berth marina , car parking, residential development, conference centre, golf course and associated buildings. Wendy Chapman
3680-421: The defendants, being engaged in a "campaign" to stop the bridge, and the "targeting" of the Chapmans. The judgement was of concern to environmental activists because any form of direct action such as non-violent picketing, boycotting, or attempts to coerce changes of policy or behaviour, while not illegal, could be imputed as "malice" in any resulting defamation claim. As a result of the Chapman defamation actions,
3760-465: The developers and dismissed the claims of fabrication. Developers Tom and Wendy Chapman and their son Andrew took defamation action against conservation groups, academics, politicians, media operators, printers and individuals who had spoken out against the Bridge. The Chapmans received court judgements of around $ 850,000 in their favour. The bulk of the damages related to claims by the defendants that
3840-519: The dictionary, again compiled by Gale and Williams, was published by AIATSIS in 2020. Hundreds of new words have been added, including words for items which did not exist in the 19th century, such as " solar panel ". In 2021 the first students of the first training course to be specially tailored to the teaching of Aboriginal language , run by Tauondi Aboriginal College in Port Adelaide , graduated, and are now able to pass on their skills to
3920-685: The existing Cable ferry would not be able to handle the increased traffic. In October 1989, approval was granted for a bridge, to be financed by the Chapmans, subject to an Environmental Impact Study (EIS). The EIS (the Edmonds Report) was completed within two weeks and identified the need for an anthropological study. The Chapmans funded a study by Rod Lucas who reported in January 1990 that existing written records did not record mythological sites, but cautioned that consultation with Indigenous groups would be required. The Ngarrindjeri are one of
4000-447: The existing cable ferry and service a proposed marina development) attracted opposition from many local residents, environmental groups and indigenous leaders. In 1994, a group of Ngarrindjeri women elders claimed the site was sacred to them for reasons that could not be revealed. The case attracted much controversy because the issue intersected with broader concerns about Indigenous rights , specifically Aboriginal land rights , in
4080-560: The financial arrangements between the government, the Chapmans and Westpac, and recommended that the government reconsider the bridge and examine whether the bridge could be replaced by a second ferry. In early October, the Lower Murray Heritage Committee wrote to the Aboriginal Affairs Minister asking him to protect Aboriginal sites on Hindmarsh Island however, work on the bridge began on 27 October 1993 though it quickly ceased due to industrial action. Largely due to
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#17327754074694160-706: The financial disaster of the State Bank collapse leaving the state essentially bankrupt, Labor was routed in the December 1993 election and the Liberals came to power with Dean Brown as Premier. When in opposition the Liberals had campaigned against the Hindmarsh Island Bridge and stopping it was a campaign promise during the election. Further up the Murray, the local community in Berri was campaigning for
4240-512: The island 1970: Little penguins were present on Hindmarsh Island. Today, the colony is extinct . 1985: Approximately 1,405 square kilometres (542 square miles) including the island was listed as a "wetland of international importance" under the Ramsar convention under the name of Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland . 2001: Approximately a third of the island, the 10.81 square kilometres (4.17 square miles) Wyndgate property,
4320-432: The island to Goolwa was officially opened on 4 March 2001. The bridge became a focus of national controversy when a group of local Indigenous people (the Ngarrindjeri ) and some landowners objected to its construction. It was alleged that the Ngarrindjeri objectors fabricated the cultural significance of the island (the "Secret Women's Business") in order to help fight the development. A later Royal Commission decided that
4400-709: The island was occupied by Ngarrindjeri peoples, who know it as Kumarangk. 1830: The first European to set foot on Hindmarsh Island was Captain Charles Sturt . Sturt used the Island as a viewing point and from there he sighted the Murray Mouth . 1831: Captain Collet Barker surveyed the Murray Mouth but was killed by Indigenous Australians after swimming across the mouth. 1837: The island
4480-447: The island. 1900: A cheese factory was established by Percy Heggaton . 1914: An experimental barrage was constructed to link Hindmarsh Island with Mundoo Island . 1935: Construction of the permanent barrages took place with the aim of maintaining a consistent water level around the river Port of Goolwa and keeping salt water away from the northern shore, improving agricultural opportunities. 1965: Mains electricity arrived on
4560-519: The liquidators. In regards to the financial losses the Chapmans believed had resulted from the heritage applications, the Chapmans claimed financial losses of $ 16.58 million based on the difference between what the Chapmans paid Westpac and what they claimed the completed marina would have sold for had the bridge been built prior to 1994. In 2001 this court action failed. In June 1995, the Hindmarsh Island Royal Commission
4640-404: The marina to Kebaro Pty Ltd, a family trust belonging to the Chapmans for $ 50,000 with a further $ 1.3 million to follow at a later date. A further assessment of the marina now revised its value to $ 4.5 million. As part of the transaction, the liquidator of Binalong agreed to assign Binalong's causes of action to Mr and Mrs Chapman who would then pay a percentage of any damages recovered in court to
4720-431: The media and politicians aired the claims of five "dissident" Aboriginal women who stated that what had become known as "secret women's business" must have been "fabricated" by the "proponents" because they either had no knowledge of the secrets or did not believe them. The Royal Commission identified at least twelve separate aspects to the claim of "secret women's business" during the course of its inquiry. This knowledge
4800-480: The request of the Ngarrindjeri, the Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Robert Tickner issued an emergency declaration blocking work on the bridge, and then appointed a lawyer, Professor Cheryl Saunders OA , to report on the significant Aboriginal sites. Saunders consulted with a range of interested parties, including a group of Ngarrindjeri women who claimed Hindmarsh Island was sacred to them as
4880-621: The restricted women's knowledge was fabricated or that it was not part of genuine Aboriginal tradition". Justice von Doussa found that the nine Ngarrindjeri women who testified about their beliefs were "credible witnesses who genuinely hold the beliefs and recollections expressed by them". Area: 45.5 square kilometres (17.6 square miles) Coastline: 43.7 kilometres (27.2 miles) (not including marina) Highest Elevation: 25 metres (82 feet) (35°30'30.28"S 138°49'21.83"E) Salt Lakes Total: 49 Terrain: grassland, wooded forest, salt lakes and mangroves Mundoo Island (35°33'4.35"S 138°55'0.86"E)
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#17327754074694960-534: The restricted women's knowledge was fabricated or that it was not part of genuine Aboriginal tradition. One of the two key independent expert witnesses from the South Australian Museum , Philip Clarke, was found by the Federal Court at [373] to have erred in terms of professional objectivity before the Royal Commission when it was discovered that he had been secretly helping the lawyers for the "dissident" Ngarrindjerri women. The court found against
5040-474: The revival of both Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna . There were 312 speakers of Ngarrindjerri recorded in the 2016 Australian census . A second edition of the dictionary was published in 2019, with 500 additional words, bringing the total to 4,200. Ngarrindjeri elder Phyllis Williams has been collaborating with linguist Mary-Anne Gale for many years, teaching the language to adults and developing resources to aid language revival . The third, expanded edition of
5120-557: The significance of secret women's knowledge within Aboriginal tradition to the area where the bridge was to be constructed. The last respondent is the Commonwealth of Australia which is sued for compensation on the basis that the declaration under the Heritage Protection Act resulted in the acquisition of property belonging to Binalong. Von Doussa found for the respondents. His findings took issue with those of
5200-404: The women could not rely on material that was not being made available to the other parties most closely affected by the application. Rather than have their stories read by a male minister and made available to other parties, the women withdrew their restricted material. They chose not to violate their religious law that women's knowledge was for women's eyes only. Although this knowledge was missing,
5280-410: Was a former Lord Mayor of Adelaide from 1983 to 1985. With the marina only partially completed, in 1988 the Chapmans applied for permission to increase the size of the project as the original project was found to be financially unviable. The Planning Assessment Commission rejected the proposal, stating that the development couldn't expand unless a bridge was built from Goolwa to Hindmarsh Island as
5360-438: Was accepted that the government would pay the whole cost of the bridge while the Chapmans would pay back half at a later date, but only after Binalong had paid off all its debts to Westpac. Binalong owed so much money to the State Bank through Beneficial Finance that Bannon apparently had no choice but to prop the company up. The State Bank collapsed not long after with debts of $ 3 billion. On 22 November 1990, Premier Bannon wrote
5440-861: Was added to the Coorong National Park. The Hindmarsh Island Bridge from the mainland is opened. 2005: Coorong Quays Hindmarsh Island boasts the title of the largest freshwater marina in the Southern Hemisphere (formerly The Marina Hindmarsh Island). Present: Hindmarsh Island today has fresh water on its northern shore and salt water on the southern shores, the waters being separated by a series of barrages. Length: 319 metres (1,047 feet) Height: 19 metres (62 feet) Width: 11 metres (36 feet) Clearance Height: 14 metres (46 feet) Building Company: Built Environs Construction Commenced: October 1999 Construction Finished: March 2001 The Hindmarsh Island Bridge linking
5520-429: Was also under pressure for a series of major projects it had promised that had never eventuated so the bridge project was also seen as likely to be the only major success Labor would be able to claim for the next election. The State government made a deal with the Chapmans. Binalong would pay up front for the bridge to be built. Then the State government would reimburse Binalong for half of the cost of construction, up to
5600-461: Was an unlawful inquiry into their spiritual beliefs. The "dissident women" were diverse in age and cultural traditions or awareness, and were considered by the Commissioner to be 'credible' and their testimony was corroborated by support from two anthropologists from the South Australian Museum. In December the Royal Commission found that the idea of Hindmarsh Island as being significant to
5680-481: Was called by the South Australian government , following South Australian media reports of five Ngarrindjeri women disputing the existence of "secret women's business" on the island. The Commission provoked significant and lasting controversy over its five month deliberation. The women who asserted the existence of "secret women's business" refused to give evidence to the Royal Commission on the basis that it
5760-541: Was claimed to be of great antiquity, and passed only to a small number of properly initiated women, hence the ignorance of prior anthropologists to the myth. The most prominent aspects of the claims are listed below: In 1994, Binalong went into liquidation owing Partnership Pacific $ 18.5 million with Westpac taking possession of the marina as mortgagee. The marina was at this time valued at up to $ 1.35 million. Following protracted negotiations, in September 1997 Westpac sold
5840-592: Was contemplated but after negotiations, the Alexandrina Council formally apologised to the Ngarrindjeri and entered into a Kungun Ngarrindjeri Yunnan ("Listen to Ngarrindjeri Speaking") agreement where the Council acknowledged Ngarrindjeri rights as the traditional owners of the country and their existence as an identifiable group of people with their own laws, customs, beliefs and traditions, which must be taken into consideration for any developments within
5920-577: Was erected at Barker Knoll to convey safe passage condition messages to vessels wishing to pass through the mouth. 1858: A public ferry began operations between Goolwa and the island. In the same year the first inter colonial telegraph line passed through the island to link Adelaide with Melbourne. 1861: The cemetery was surveyed. 1880s: Alberto and Selberto Forest were planted. 1868: Hereford cattle and Shropshire sheep arrived in South Australia , when Charles Price introduced them onto
6000-609: Was invalid. In part due to the furore over the bridge, Tickner lost his own seat in the 1996 election , at which Labor was heavily defeated by the Coalition under John Howard . Soon after coming to power, the Howard Government legislated to allow the bridge to proceed. The Hindmarsh Island Bridge Act 1997 (Cth) removed protections granted by the Heritage Protection Act to the construction of
6080-476: Was irrational, Wilson's testimony was not reliable and Milera's was a personal belief and not evidence of fabrication. Most significantly, the various accounts of the Seven Sisters story given were consistent. He wrote: 12. ... the evidence received by the Court on this topic is significantly different to that which was before the Royal Commission. Upon the evidence before this Court I am not satisfied that
6160-514: Was named by Captain John William Dundas Blenkinsop after South Australia's first Governor , Sir John Hindmarsh . 1849: Dr. John Rankine was granted an occupational licence to become the island's first grazier. His nephew James Rankine was an early and longtime settler. 1853: Charles Price purchased section 20 (32 hectares (80 acres)) on the island. 1856: A flour mill was constructed. 1857: A signal mast
6240-549: Was no way out of building the bridge without significant financial liabilities. On 29 April 1994, Draper presented his report to the new Liberal government. The report mentioned that the area had spiritual significance to Aboriginal women, identified a number of significant sites and argued that they should be protected under the State Aboriginal Heritage Act . On 3 May the State Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Dr Michael Armitage , now used his powers under
6320-423: Was the government liable for Westpac's losses if it did not build the bridge but even if the bridge was built and Westpac suffered any losses from stages two, three and four of the marina project, the government was now also liable to cover those losses which could run to hundreds of millions of dollars. A deed was signed in March 1993 binding the government to this commitment. Public outrage at government funding of
6400-413: Was valid, with Justice Kirby dissenting. Judgments regarding the ambit of section 51(xxvi) noted that the actual wording of the amended section did not limit Parliament to the enactment of only beneficial laws. This controversial judgment did little to limit the scope of section 51(xxvi), and has been criticised for failing to create adequate protections against discriminatory legislation and disregarding
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