NOTICE OF AUTHORISATION MEETINGS FOR THE DJABUGAY NATION (QUD692/2016) NATIVE TITLE CLAIM

Djabugay, Bulway, Yirrganydji, Nyakali, and Guluy People

Dear Djabugay-Bulway-Yirrganydji-Nyakali-Guluy Traditional Owner,

AUTHORISATION MEETINGS: MAKING DECISIONS ON WHETHER TO CHANGE THE CLAIM GROUP DESCRIPTION FOR THE DJABUGAY NATION (QUD692/2016) NATIVE TITLE CLAIM.

The North Queensland Land Council (NQLC) is organising two Authorisation Meetings of the Djabugay, Bulway, Yirrganydji, Nyakali and Guluy peoples (the Djabugay Nation) on the same day, as follows:

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THESE MEETINGS?

These meetings are being held for three reasons:

1. Firstly, to consider and authorise whether to retain or remove two Apical Ancestors(Charlie Fourmile and Walter Fourmile) from the Claim Group Description for the DjabugayNation native title claim;
2. Secondly, to consider and authorise whether to include a particular Apical Ancestor(Winmai (the mother of Mick Sheppard)) in the Claim Group Description for the DjabugayNation native title claim; and
3. Thirdly, to consider and authorise whether to remove particular Apical Ancestors (RobertClarke and Jinny the mother of Tambo Banning) and to replace them with different ApicalAncestors from the same family line.

What is a Claim Group Description?
When a native title claim is filed, it must include a Claim Group Description. The Claim Group Description is the description of the people who are said to hold the native title in the area of the claim. The Claim Group Description for the Djabugay Nation native title claim – being the Djabugay, Bulway, Yirrganydji, Nyakali, and Guluy People – is described as the descendants of certain Apical Ancestors.

Claim group community consultation meetings
NQLC, with the Applicant for the Djabugay Nation native title claim, held four claim group community consultation meetings in July this year. The meetings were held in order to gather the community’s opinion regarding potential changes to the Claim Group Description for the Djabugay Nation native title claim.
At those claim group community meetings, members of the Djabugay Nation Claim Group considered and discussed the Apical Ancestors set out in the paragraph below, and whether or not changes should be made to the Claim Group Description.

The apical ancestors that were discussed were:
(a)   Charlie Fourmile and Walter Fourmile: the proposal that was discussed at thecommunity meetings was whether the Apical Ancestors ‘Charlie Fourmile’ and ‘WalterFourmile’ should remain as Apical Ancestors in the Claim Group Description, orwhether they should be removed from the list of Apical Ancestors in the Claim GroupDescription.

(b)   Winmai (the mother of Mick Sheppard): the proposal that was discussed waswhether ‘Winmai (the mother of Mick Sheppard)’ should be added again as an ApicalAncestor in the Claim Group Description (Winmai is not currently listed in the ClaimGroup Description).

(c)   Robert Clarke: the proposal that was discussed was whether or not ‘Robert Clarke’should be removed from the list of Apical Ancestors, and in his place there should beincluded ‘Kitty (the mother of Robert Clarke)’ and ‘Rosie (the mother of Lizzie Street)’.

(d)   Jinny the mother of Tambo Banning: the proposal that was discussed was whetheror not ‘Jinny the mother of Tambo Banning’ should be removed from the list of ApicalAncestors, and in her place there should be included ‘The unnamed father of TamboBanning and Jack Banning’.

You may have received a newsletter in August this year with information about the results of those meetings. If you did not receive this letter, and you would like to be provided with a copy of the newsletter, please contact NQLC using the details at the end of this notice.

Authorisation meeting

The authorisation meetings to be held on 24 November 2025 will be for the Djabugay Nation Claim Group, being the Djabugay, Bulway, Yirrganydji, Nyakali and Guluy peoples, to consider the same issues as were considered at the community meetings, and if the Claim Group decides to do so, to authorise the changes to the Claim Group Description.

Changes to a Claim Group Description must be authorised at a properly notified authorisation meeting.

If a Claim Group Description is changed, the Claim Group before the change must first meet and authorise the change. The changed Claim Group must then meet to authorise the claim and to authorise the Applicant, or a different Applicant, to proceed with the native title claim. That is why two meetings are being held on 24 November 2025: one for the current Claim Group, and, if the current Claim Group authorises the changes to the Claim Group Description, one for the Claim Group following the changes.

Authorisation Meeting #1 will be about authorising changes to and/or confirmation of the Claim Group Description.

Authorisation Meeting #2 will be about confirming the Applicant and the lawyers. Authorisation Meeting #2 will only be held if the Claim Group authorises the proposed changes to the Claim Group Description at Authorisation Meeting #1.

AUTHORISATION MEETING #1

This notice invites to Authorisation Meeting #1 all members of the Djabugay Nation native title claim group, comprising the Djabugay, Bulway, Yirrganydji, Nyakali and Guluy peoples, who are the biological or adoptive descendants (in accordance with traditional laws and customs) of the following apical ancestors (the current Claim Group Description):

1. Biddy Tangir Coleman;
2. George Coleman;
3. Ginny/Jinny Njujingai;
4. Worundu and Maritjima (parents of Ernest Bounghi);
5. Billy Boyle;
6. Nellie Kuranda nee Street (mother of Topsy Thomas and others);
7. Andrew Thomas aka Billy;
8. Jerry Bardon;
9. Maggie (mother of Janie Clark nee Brown);
10. Robert Clarke;
11. Joshua Barron;
12. Merukan (father of Toby Brim and others);
13. Annie Brim;
14. Barney Hunter and Minnie Street;
15. Tambo/Sambo Street and Kitty Street;
16. Jimmy Hobbler;
17. Billy Hobbler;
18. Tommy Newbury;
19. Jimmy Newbury and Polly Thompson;
20. Waikanigai;
21. Joe and Annie Davidson;
22. Andrew Dabah;
23. Billy Long and Nellie (parents of Nellie Hastie);
24. Jimmy and Nellie Street;
25. Jinny (mother of Tambo Banning);
26. Minnie (mother of Buttercup Banning);
27. Billy and Rosie (parents of Bella Robinson who raised Charlie Levers and Peter Banning);
28. Annie Courtney;
29. Polly Courtney;
30. Kitty Courtney (mother of Dick Richardson and others);
31. Charlie (who partnered Kitty Courtney);
32. Molly Dingga and her partners Ngunbitji and Patupita (Parents of George Kuranda/Carrol, Maggie Bowen and Jinnie Kuranda);
33. Tommy Hobson and his partners Cissie and Rose;
34. Kitty Donald;
35. Nellie and Micky (parents of Mary Anne Lawrence);
36. Cissie Hunter;
37. Wulwai;
38. Waimbul and Jakere;
39. Jikangoman (mother of Charlie Hyde);
40. Nellie of Redlynch (who partnered Jiritju);
41. Charlie Fourmile;
42. Walter Fourmile;
43. Billy Jagar;
44. Kitty Ikitjiti (mother of Maggie Aleck);
45. Lizzie and Peter Harwood;
46. Frank and Jinnie of Redlynch;
47. Billy and Rosie of Speewah;
48. Jeanie Graper;
49. Charlie McGrath aka Frank Lyons;
50. Nellie (mother of Peter, Charlie, Mick and Phillip Reid);
51. Henry of Barron River;
52. Old Man Manga/Mange; and
53. Niju Wu of Double Island

The agenda items for Authorisation Meeting #1 are as follows:

1. Confirm the decision-making process to be used for making decisions at the meeting.
2. Consider, and if the Claim Group decides to do so, authorise to retain, or to remove, the following Apical Ancestors from the Claim Group Description: “Charlie Fourmile” and “Walter Fourmile”.
3. Consider, and if the Claim Group decides to do so, authorise the following changes to the Claim Group Description:
   a. Add the Apical Ancestor “Winmai”;
   b. Remove the Apical Ancestor “Robert Clarke”, and include in the Claim Group Description in his place, “Kitty, the mother of Robert Clarke” and “Rosie, the mother of Lizzie Clarke nee Street”; and
   c. Remove the Apical Ancestor “Jinny (mother of Tambo Banning)”, and include in the Claim Group Description in her place, “The unnamed father of Tambo Banning and Jack Banning”.

AUTHORISATION MEETING #2

Authorisation Meeting #2 will only be held if the Claim Group authorises all or some of the proposed changes to the Claim Group Description at Authorisation Meeting #1.

If any proposed changes are made at Authorisation Meeting #1, then the biological or adoptive descendants (in accordance with traditional laws and customs) of the list of apical ancestors above, as well as the proposed additional or changed apical ancestors, are invited to attend Authorisation Meeting #2. The proposed additional or changed ancestors are as follows.

• Kitty, the mother of Robert Clarke;
• Rosie, the mother of Lizzie Clarke nee Street;
• The unnamed father of Tambo Banning and Jack Banning;
• Winmai, to be added to claim group description.

Though we invite all descendants of the 53 numbered ancestors above along with the four proposed additional or changed ancestors above to be present, only those descendants of the ancestors in the Claim Group Description as amended at Authorisation Meeting #1 will be able to participate and vote in Authorisation Meeting #2. The formal changes made at Authorisation Meeting #1 will be announced at the commencement of Authorisation Meeting #2.

The agenda items for Authorisation Meeting #2 are as follows:

1. Confirm the decision making process to be used for making decisions at the meeting.
2. Confirm the Authorisation of the current Applicant, or if the Claim Group decides to, authorise a new Applicant, and to provide authority to prosecute the claim and deal with all matters arising in relation to it and confirm the conditions on the authority of the Applicant.
3. Authorise the Applicant to give instructions for the NQLC to act as the legal representative of the Applicant and the claim group, to do all things necessary:
   a. to make changes to the Claim Group Description in accordance with the resolutions from Authorisation Meeting #1 on 24 November 2025; and
   b. do all things necessary pursuant to the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) to progress the application to a determination of native title.

If you have any questions about whether you are a member of the claim group as described above, please contact NQLC and ask to speak with anthropologist Kara Dunn by telephone on (07) 4042 7000 or Freecall 1800 814 779 or send an email to kdunn@nqlc.com.au.

In accordance with NQLC policy, assistance with travel and accommodation is available for Authorisation Meetings. Please refer to “Travel Assistance” attached.

To register to attend this meeting please contact Cherona Walker at NQLC on Freecall 1800 814 779 or (07) 4042 7000 or legaladministration@nqlc.com.au by no later than 4pm, on Wednesday 12 November 2025. Please note that there is limited funding available and any requests for travel assistance after this date will not be approved. All approvals for travel assistance are subject NQLC policy.20251023-final-notice-of-meeting-authorisation-dja-oct-2025-clw short-version-of-meeting-notice