Native title for approximately 915,000 hectares of Cape York has been returned to traditional owners, covering an area near where Captain James Cook first made landfall in 1770. The Federal Court handed down the determinations for the Wuthathi, Guugu Yimidhirr, and Yiithuwarra traditional owner groups on Thursday and Friday in Far North Queensland.
Hundreds of families gathered for ceremonies in Cairns and Cooktown, where Chief Justice Debra Mortimer officially made the consent determinations. The land, sea, and islands across the eastern Cape York Peninsula are now legally recognized as belonging to these groups.
Wuthathi Tribal Elders Council chair Johnson Chippendale said the return is significant, noting that his people have fought sand mining since the 1960s. Yiithuwarra traditional owner Des Rumble described the moment as overwhelming, marking the end of a multi-generational struggle. He reflected on ancestors who were forcibly removed from their homelands near Princess Charlotte Bay.
Guugu Yimidhirr traditional owner Rickii-Lee Woibo expressed hope for economic development and empowerment from the land. Cape York Land Council acting CEO Richie Ah Mat, a Wuthathi traditional owner, said the decision was long overdue, with traditional owners waiting over 100 years for legal recognition.
The three determinations are part of the Cape York United Number One Claim lodged in 2014. By the end of this week, 30 native titles will have been determined, and Ah Mat expects all of Cape York to be settled by the end of 2026.
