Indigenous History


The Coral Sea forms part of the greater cultural heritage of northeast Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who have inhabited the land and sea country of this region for many tens of thousands of years.

Their occupation is now accepted to have extended over multiple periods of sea country change, including various recent ice ages. The collective oral histories, traditional lore, customary rights and obligations of many coastal and island Traditional Owner groups is strongly linked to the natural wealth of the Coral Sea, to the sustained use of traditional marine resources in this region and to the significance of sea country as an integral part of saltwater peoples' spiritual and cultural identity.

The region covered by our proposal occurs between the eastern edge of the existing Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the limit of Australia's territorial waters. This area is around 80 kilometres from the Australian mainland at its closest point at Cape Flattery, and is around 60km east of the Torres Strait Protected Zone. Despite their remoteness, these waters remain subject to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customary interests and native title rights.  The Coral Sea campaign partners are currently attempting to identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interests in the proposed area.

We are very supportive of the continued traditional use of marine resources in the Coral Sea by Traditional Owners for personal, domestic and communal needs. These activities may include fishing, collecting (for example, shellfish), hunting, and looking after sea country and cultural heritage sites. The campaign also support agreements developed by Traditional Owner groups describing how Traditional Owners might want to participate in the planning and management of sea country. These agreements for a marine park in the Coral Sea could be similar to Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements (TUMRAs) which are used to manage areas of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

We are also committed to ensuring that the final Coral Sea Heritage Park campaign outcome provides protection for nationally significant cultural and historical heritage sites. These might include protection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage values, recognising the sensitive nature of these values, and establishing culturally appropriate processes for sea country management. We believe customary access and use rights, including native title rights and interests, must be fully recognised in the declaration of any future Coral Sea Heritage Park.

The current Conservation Zone, declared by the Australian Government in May 2009, has a similar boundary to that proposed for the Coral Sea Heritage Park.  Only the eastern extent is different.  The Conservation Zone includes a small part of the Torres Strait Turtle Fishery.
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