The Murrawarri flag
The brown and blue represent mother earth, the sky where Murrawarri spirits wait until their return on the falling star, water and the people, the white star represents the return of the Ancestors’ spirits on which they return to earth and the eight points on the star represents the eight clan groups of the Murrawarri Nation and the future provinces that will make up the Murrawarri Republic.
A group of Aborigines straddling the northwest New South Wales and southwest Queensland border have asserted their continued independence and statehood and are calling themselves the Murrawarri Republic.
They argue in a media release that they were not conquered in a declared war, nor entered into any treaty, nor ever ceded their sovereignty.
They also argue that the High Court decision in the Mabo land claim nullified any concept of occupation of the Australian continent by terra nullius and note that the court also stated that the question of sovereignty, dominion and ultimate title cannot be resolved in the Australian court system.
The group have written to Queen Elizabeth, requesting her to produce proof of ownership of the Murrawarri nations’ ancient lands, subsurface, natural resources, water and airspace.
“If her Royal Highness’ office cannot produce .... documents within the allotted time then we will write to the Secretary General of the United Nations asking to be accepted as one of the world’s oldest but newest nations, and we will be asking for assistance in the peaceful settlement of our dispute with the British Crown and the British and Australian governments, who act as the administration of the Crown’s Affairs in both Australia and Great Britain,” the release says.
The queen and Australian authorities have been given 28 days to respond.
Fred Hooper, Convenor of the Republic, states its population at around 10,000, which includes Murrawarri peoples living outside of the republic who are citizens.
Mr Hooper told National Indigenous Television that the push for independence follows many frustrating years of inaction and broken promises.
“According to our laws and customs she [the queen] does not now have any say over our country.”
Mr. Hooper said the Republic offers non-Murrawarri peoples incentives including citizenship and text concessions.
“At the moment it is status quo, people will operate their businesses, people will maintain their land.”
The Sovereign Union campaign says the Murrawarri move will spark a new wave of similar declarations.
“The first flame has been lit. It’s now burning. The flames will spread right throughout this country and there’s nothing Australia can do about it,” the Union’s Convenor, Michael Ghillar Anderson told NITV.
The Murrawarri Peoples Council has been set up to look into a transition into the republic, including tribal law structures, industry and civil defence.
The Attorney General's Department told NITV it wants Indigenous peoples to participate in Australia's democracy, adding that the Australian Constitution recognises the Commonwealth and the states and territories as the "only" constituent entities.
The full media release:
MEDIA RELEASE
The Murrawarri Nation wish to advise that on the 30th of March 2013 we declared our continued Independence and Statehood, to be known hereinafter as the Murrawarri Republic.
There were three legally recognised principles that governed the taking over or acquiring of new land according to 18th Century English and International common law:
1. Conquest (by the declaration of war)
2. Treaty (negotiated after victory in war) or
3. Occupation by absence of presence on the land by people (the terra nullius principle) land belonging to no one.
The High Court decision in Mabo v Queensland (No2) 1992, nullified any concept of occupation by Terra Nullius of the Australian continent and it also states that the question of Sovereignty, Dominion and Ultimate Title cannot be resolved in the Australian Court System.
We are now asking how the British Crown obtained Ultimate Title over the Murrawarri Nation if the principle of Terra Nullius was nullified by the highest court in Australia under their own common law.
WE DECLARE that the Murrawarri Ancient Lands were occupied by Murrawarri peoples at the time of the colonisers taking up large pastoral leases granted by illegal acts by British, New South Wales and Queensland Governments on behalf of the Crown.
The Peoples Council of the Murrawarri Republic have written to Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II advising her of the Murrawarri Nations’ declaration of continued Independence and Statehood and requesting her to produce proof of ownership of the Murrawarri Nations’ Ancient Lands, Subsurface, Natural Resources, Water, and Airspace by the way of the following documents:
a. Treaty documents between the Murrawarri Nation and the Crown of Great Britain outlining the conditions of such a treaty,
b. A Deed of Cession documents that show the Murrawarri Nation has ceded Sovereignty, Dominion and Ultimate Title to the Crown of Great Britain, or
c. Documents showing a declaration of war against the Murrawarri Nation and its people by the Crown of Great Britain.
If her Royal Highness’ office cannot produce these documents within the allotted time then we will write to the Secretary General of the United Nations asking to be accepted as one of the world’s oldest but newest Nations, and we will be asking for assistance in the peaceful settlement of our dispute with the British Crown and the British and Australian Governments who act as the administration of the Crown’s Affairs in both Australia and Great Britain.
We have also furnished copies of our letter to Her Royal Highness and a copy of the declaration to Her Excellency the Governor General, Her Excellency the Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency the Governor of Queensland, the Honourable Prime Minister and the Honourable Premiers of New South Wales and Queensland.
The Murrawarri people have formed the Peoples Council of the Murrawarri Republic who will act as the Provisional Council of State until the formation of the Murrawarri Government in line with the Draft Constitution of the Murrawarri Republic.
Some excerpts from the declaration:
WE THE MURRAWARRI PEOPLES DECLARE that our people have maintained a physical, spiritual and cultural connection to our Ancient Lands, Subsurface, Natural Resources, Waters and Airspace and we did not cede our Sovereignty, Dominion and Ultimate Title through any process of treaty or cession nor through any act of war declared on the Murrawarri Nation and its peoples by the British Crown, Governments or their servants.
THE MURRAWARRI REPUBLIC will be open for Murrawarri peoples, Non Murrawarri people currently residing within the borders of our ancient lands and others who wish to live in our country.
THE MURRAWARRI REPUBLIC WILL FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on spiritual beliefs, cultural practices, freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by our peoples. It will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of culture, religion, conscience, language and education; it will safeguard our sacred places handed down to us by our Creator and our Ancestors; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
THE MURRAWARRI REPUBLIC is prepared to cooperate with the agencies and representatives of the Crown of the Great British, State and Federal Governments of Australia through their nominated representatives and the United Nations in implementing the peaceful transition and development of our Sovereign State as an equal in this world.
WE APPEAL to the United Nations to assist the Murrawarri people in the building-up of our State and to receive the MURRAWARRI REPUBLIC into the world family that is represented by the United Nations.
WE EXTEND our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and understanding.
WE DECLARE THAT THE ATTACHED MAP (CLICK TO ENLARGE) SHOWS THE BOUNDARIES OF OUR ANCESTRAL MURRAWARRI LANDS AS CREATED BY… OUR CREATOR PITANGULU (BIDA-NGULU)…
The Murrawarri boundaries are described as commencing at the junction of the Warrego and Darling rivers at GPS coordinate 30 24’14.75”S 145 20’51.06”E travels north northeast along the Darling river to the Junction of the Cato Creek GPS coordinate 29 52’48.39” S 146 46’21.61”E. It then travels north joining the Bokhara river where it continues north to the junction of the Bokhara river and Birrie river, it then continues northwest through GPS coordinate 28 18’18.63”S 146 32’12.81”E to GPS coordinate 28 15’31.34”S 146 18’28.48”E then dips slightly to the southwest to GPS 28 18’53.21”S 146 11’57.83”E then turns westerly direction to GPS coordinate 28 17’13.18”S 145 05’33.07”E continues to GPS coordinate 28 09’29.00”S 145 52’11.85”E to the northwest.
Then follows the Warrego river in a southerly direction back to GPS coordinate 30 24’14.75”S 145 20 51.06”E which is the junction of the Warrego and Darling rivers.
The Murrawarri Republic has a total area of 81,796 Square Kilometres.
(End of excerpts)
The Peoples Council of the Murrawarri Republic would like to advise that a copy of the Draft Constitution along with other information about the Murrawarri Republic can be found on our website www.murrawarrirepublic.net
