Land Grant Includes Uluru and Kata Tjuta

In 1985, the traditional owners of Uluru and the surrounding national park were the Anangu people, not specifically the Mutitjulu. The Mutitjulu community is one of the Aboriginal communities located within the park, and its oval was the site of the historic "handback" ceremony. Who: The Governor-General of Australia, Sir Ninian Stephen, formally handed the freehold title deeds for the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to the Anangu Aboriginal people. What: The transfer of ownership was the culmination of decades of campaigning by the Anangu for their land rights to be officially recognized by the Australian government. Where: The ceremony took place on October 26, 1985, at the Mutitjulu community oval, which is situated near the base of Uluru. How: As a condition of the land return, the Anangu leased the park back to the Australian Parks and Wildlife Service (now Parks Australia) for 99 years. This established a joint management agreement where the Anangu people hold a majority on the park's Board of Management, combining their traditional knowledge with Western conservation practices. The historic event was a symbolic high point for the Aboriginal land rights movement in Australia, with celebrations attended by over 2,000 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.