In Pictures: Indigenous Australia in 2019

Written by: Brooke Fryer, Sophie Verass and Grayson McCarthy-Grogan
Produced by: Daniel Gallahar and Sophie Verass

It was the year that brought the bike shorts back, played ‘Old Town Road’ one too many times and celebrated Indigenous languages across the globe. Book-ending a whole decade, 2019 wrapped up 10 years that embraced streaming services, LGBT rights, climate concerns, reality television and went through an exhausting five Prime Ministers.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, this year saw art exhibitions that showcased our culture through virtual reality to a national campaign which prevented over one hundred Aboriginal women from imprisonment over unpaid fines. Like our lands, our people and our experiences; 2019 was dynamically diverse. It was an eclectic mix of successes and achievements, as well as losses and controversy.

The year kicked off with Yolgnu rapper Baker Boy awarded Young Australian of the Year and Blak excellence kept on coming.  From the significant portrait of Nova Peris unveiled in Parliament House, to tennis champion Ash Barty ranking in at number one, as well as Deborah Mailman, Magnolia Maymuru, Stan Grant and Dylan River making the AACTAs “the BLAACTAs” — Indigenous excellence was in full form.      

Most notably, after 55 years of cultural concerns, community distress and environmental damage, 2019 saw the Uluru climb finally close. The significant decision demonstrating Anangu’s Tjukurpa and Australian law working together.    

Still, the heart-aching stories came; with crisis-level rates of young First Nations people committing suicide, the tragic death of a Warlpiri teenager who was fatally shot by a police officer in the central Australian town of Yuendumu and across the nation, horrific fires continue to burn, with hundreds of homes destroyed and wildlife struggling to stay alive.

As a new decade approaches, First Nations people to continue to push for a voice to Parliament, as well as a seat at the table during the climate crisis debate and we await some of our best sporting talent to take the Olympic podium.

BAKER BOY RECEIVES YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR: Young Australian of the Year Danzal Baker receives 2019 Young Australian of the Year Award for his outstanding musical talent and dedicated advocacy for Indigenous Australian culture.

The musician was raised in Milingimbi and Maningrida in northeast Arnhem Land and is the first Indigenous artist to have achieved mainstream success rapping in the Yolngu Matha language.

JANUARY 26: Invasion Day protester Malley Currie leads a march during on January 26 in Brisbane.

Anti-Australia Day rallies took place across the country with Sydney organisers in estimating 50,000 people in attendance, with Melbourne up to 80,000.

PARLIAMENT HOUSE SIT IN: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, alongside non-Indigenous allies, occupy the foyer and front entry of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. The group called for government action on Climate Change and water protection in Australia.

"If they do fracking in my land, everything will die - the water will die, the grass will die, the tree will die. There will be rocks and dirt that's all," said clan leader of the Alawa tribe, Bradley Farrar.

NRL’S INDIGENOUS ALL STARS: Indigenous players perform a traditional war cry led by Latrell Mitchell during the NRL Indigenous All Stars vs Maori All Stars match.

Indigenous All Stars won the match, 34-14 at AAMI Park, Melbourne.

FRACKING PROTESTS ON NT PARLIAMENT LAWN: A group of Traditional Owners from different communities across the Northern Territory protest against fracking proposals on their land.

Garrawa Elder, Nancy McDinny supervises a mini-bulldozer drilling on the front lawn on the Northern Territory Parliament House. The group says they want to let politicians know how it feels to have unwelcome machinery on your land.

TOP END WEDDING PREMIERE: Miranda Tapsell attends the Melbourne Premiere of Top End Wedding.

The Indigenous-led feature film cleaned-up in its opening weekend at the Australian cinemas, earning over $1 million and being eclipsed only by behemoth Disney franchise film, Avengers: Endgame.

RIVERS RUN DRY: A young Barkandji girls swings from a tree over the dry bed of the Darling-Barka river in Wilcannia, Australia.

The Barkandji are part of the group who signed an open letter to the NSW Water Minister Niall Blair highlighting the social and environmental impacts throughout the Murray-Darling Basin due to floodplain harvesting.

KEN WYATT FIRST ABORIGINAL MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Governor General Peter Cosgrove (R) congratulates Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt (R) during an oath-taking ceremony at Government House in Canberra.

Wyatt is of Nyoonga, Yamatji and Wongi heritage, and was the first Aboriginal person to be elected to the national House of Representatives. This year he became the first Indigenous person to be the Minister for Indigenous Australians, formerly titled Indigenous Affairs.

NAIDOC 2019: VOICE, TREATY, TRUTH: Thousands of people take to the streets in the annual NAIDOC march in Melbourne, Australia. The march marks the start of NAIDOC Week, which runs in the first full week of July each year.

This year’s NAIDOC theme was “Voice, Treaty, Truth”. Proud Kamilaroi man from Moree; Dean Duncan was named the 2019 NAIDOC Person of the Year for being a champion of diversity, social justice and equality.

PROTEST TO SAVE DJAP WURRUNG: Protesters at the Djap Wurrung birthing trees.

VicRoads and the Victorian Government stopped work on the Western Highway from Buangor to Ararat while discussions were held with Traditional Owners who were currently protesting the planned removal of 800-year-old trees.

The protestors told NITV that over 260 trees in the area were sacred to the Djap Wurrung people, including a birthing tree, which they estimate to have ties to 56 families or more.

NICKY WINMAR STATUE IS UNVEILED: Former St Kilda Saints player and Western Australian-born Noongar man Nicky Winmar unveils his statue with AFL Chief Executive Officer Gillon McLachlan and Premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan at Optus Stadium in Perth.

The statue reflects the iconic moment of Winmar and Australia’s history when he stood up to a racist crowd in 1993 and raised his shirt, pointed to his skin and said “I’m black and I’m proud to be black”.

GARMA 2019: NITV’s ground crew pose together at Garma 2019 on Gumatj Country in Gulkula in Arnhem Land.

This year’s Garma theme was ‘Pathways to Our Future’, and over the four days and nights hosted 2,600 people with 13 Bunggul Dance Troupes and 135 Performers. Some of the guest speakers at Garma this year include The Honourable Ken Wyatt Minister for Indigenous Australians, Dr. June Oscar AO, Pat Turner AM and Professor Mick Dodson AM.

BUNGGUL BABY: Bunggul Baby stole the show at Garma this year. You might remember young Joevhan Burarrwanga all over your newsfeeds in August when footage of him dancing at the Bunggul site emerged across the nation.

DUJUAN HOOSAN DELIVERS SPEECH TO UN: 12-year-old Arrente/Garrwa boy from Alice Springs Dujuan Hoosan appealed to members of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to help bring to an end the jailing of 10-year-old children in Australia.

"I want adults to stop putting 10-year-old kids in jail," he said before the council.

GLOBAL CLIMATE PRESENCE: An Aboriginal man marching in Melbourne, Australia. Rallies held across Australia are part of a global mass day of action demanding action on the climate crisis.

Climate activism has been an International occurrence throughout the year with the Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg making headlines. In Australia, it has been our Mob at the forefront advocating for proper land management and caring for Country.

ULURU CLIMB CLOSURE: Traditional owners pose for photographs next to the newly installed sign after the permanent closure of the climb at Uluru, at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory.

After 55 years, the Uluru climb is now closed forever.

NOVA PERIS PORTRAIT UNVIELED: Former Labor senator Nova Peris and her official portrait with Aboriginal artist Dr Jandamarra Cadd at Parliament House in Canberra.

Peris became Australia’s first Indigenous women elected to federal parliament in September 2013 and served the people of the Northern Territory until 2016 when she did not nominate to re-contest her seat in the Senate.

ASHLEIGH BARTY BECOMES A CHAMPION: Ash Barty holds her winning trophy as World No.1 while being showered by confetti after winning the Women’s Tennis Association Finals Tennis Tournament against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province.

Barty is a Ngarigo woman and grew up in Ipswich in Queensland. The 23-year-old won The Don award at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in October.

KOORI KNOCKOUT WINNERS: South Coast Black Cockatoos pose with the shield after winning the 49th New South Wales Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout.

The South Coast Black Cockatoos are a memorial team honouring the late James Wellington who won his first Koori Knockout 21 years ago. They won against Griffith Three Ways 40-12 in Tuggerah on the Central Coast.

NRL GRAND FINAL MAN OF THE MATCH: Jack Wighton of the Raiders speaks after being presented the Clive Churchill medal during the 2019 NRL Grand Final between the Canberra Raiders and the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

Jack Wighton is just the fourth person to ever receive this medal while being on the losing team. The Clive Churchill Medal is the award given to the player judged to be man-of-the-match in the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian history, following his death in 1985.

KUMANJAYI WALKER: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders communities and allies with their hands painted red march during a protest in Melbourne. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and allies held rallies across the country, calling for justice for 19-year-old Warlpiri teenager Kumanjayi Walker, who died after being shot by police in the central desert town of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory.

GERMANY RETURNS ABORIGINAL REMAINS: Major Sumner, representative of the Australian Ngarrindejeri Community, conducts a smoking ceremony in the courtyard of the Grassi Museum on the occasion of the handing over of bones of indigenous Australians.

The mortal remains of 45 Indigenous Australians from the ethnographic holdings of the Dresden State Art Collections were handed over to Australia's ambassador. The mortal remains came from grave plundering as well as from victims of violent conflicts. The bones came to Saxony between 1880 and 1914 as purchases and donations.

BACKBURNING BUSHFIRES: NSW Rural Fire fighters establish a backburn in Mangrove Mountain, New South Wales, Sunday. 

The Northern NSW fires started in late November and seem to have no end in sight with smoke clouds reaching the City of Sydney. Some Fire fighters have started to use the back burning method that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been using for thousands of years to help stop the wild fires.

KAIIT COLLECTED: Kaiit accepts the ARIA Award for Best Soul/R&B Release during the 33rd Annual ARIA Music Awards at The Star in Sydney.

The Gunditjmara and Torres Strait Islander artist has risen to fame over the past year thanks to her song Miss Shiney, released in May. This is also the first time this category has been in the ARIA Awards.

THE BLAACTAS: Magnolia Maymuru at the 2019 AACTA Awards Presented by Foxtel at The Star in Sydney, Australia. 

This was the first time Magnolia Maymuru was nominated for an AACTA Award and she took out best supporting actress for her debut role in the feature film, The Nightingale. The Yolngu woman was one of many First Nations people to take out an award that night.