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NOTICE OF AUTHORISATION MEETING FOR A NATIVE TITLE DETERMINATION AGREEMENT – GUUGU YIMIDHIRR PEOPLE – Proposed Guugu Yimidhirr #2 (Cooktown Area Land Transfer ILUA) Determination – Cape York United # 1 Native Title Claim (QUD673/2014) – TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER 2026 – COOKTOWN

Sep 24, 2026

NOTICE OF AUTHORISATION MEETING
FOR A NATIVE TITLE DETERMINATION AGREEMENT
GUUGU YIMIDHIRR PEOPLE
Proposed Guugu Yimidhirr #2 (Cooktown Area Land Transfer ILUA) Determination
Cape York United # 1 Native Title Claim (QUD673/2014)
TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER 2026
COOKTOWN

This notice is to advise that Cape York Land Council (CYLC) will convene a decision-making Authorisation Meeting on behalf of the Cape York United #1 (CYU#1) Claim Applicant for the Guugu Yimidhirr People to consider whether to authorise a proposed native title agreement under s.87A of the Native Title Act 1993 for a determination of native title over the Guugu Yimidhirr #2 (Cooktown Area Land Transfer ILUA) area. The proposed determination area is shaded in purple, as shown on the map below.

Date: Tuesday 13 October 2026
Time: 9:30am to 2:30pm
Venue: Cooktown Events Centre, 3 May Street, Cooktown

SECTION 87A AUTHORISATION MEETING

A determination of native title involves a decision of the Federal Court. A determination of native title means that the Federal Court determines (1) who holds native title; (2) what the native title rights are; (3) the area to which the native title rights apply after any determination is made; and (4) which corporation will represent the members of the determined native title group.

If the meeting on Tuesday 13 October 2026 decides to authorise the proposed s.87A native title agreement, a determination will then be sought in the Federal Court to be made ‘on the papers’ (meaning without a hearing) sometime after the end of November 2026.

A copy of the proposed s.87A native title agreement for a determination of native title for the area shown on the map will be available at the authorisation meeting. At the request of the Applicant in the CYU#1 Claim, CYLC staff will be in attendance at the meeting to explain matters such as the meaning and effect of the proposed agreement. Any person attending the meeting will be able to ask questions and state their views about the proposed agreement.

PURPOSE OF AUTHORISATION MEETING

The purpose of this authorisation meeting is for the Guugu Yimidhirr People to decide whether to approve the proposed s.87A agreement for a consent determination of native title over the area shown on the map.

The meeting will be asked to consider and make decisions about the following:

  1. Agree and adopt a decision-making process;
  2. Approve the proposed s.87A agreement for a determination of native title;
  3. Nominate the Guugu Yimidhirr Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (ICN 11764), as the existing prescribed body corporate (PBC) of the Guugu Yimidhirr People, to be the PBC for the proposed determination of native title; and
  4. Authorise the Principal Legal Officer of CYLC to nominate the Guugu Yimidhirr Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC in writing to the Federal Court for it to be the PBC under s.56 of the NTA for the proposed determination of native title.

The area as shown on the map was not included in the previous Guugu Yimidhirr determination made on 23 October 2025 because that area is subject to the Cooktown Area Land Transfer ILUA which, at the time of the previous determination, was awaiting registration by the National Native Title Tribunal. The ILUA was subsequently registered on 11 March 2026, meaning that the area can now be determined in favour of the Guugu Yimidhirr People.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND?

All Guugu Yimidhirr People as described below are invited and eligible to attend the authorisation meeting.

The Guugu Yimidhirr People are the descendants by birth, or adoption in accordance with the traditional laws acknowledged and the traditional customs observed by the Guugu Yimidhirr People, from one or more of the following apical ancestors (listed alphabetically):

  1. Andy Butchan
  2. Baabi
  3. Balkan (wife of Baabi)
  4. Barney
  5. Bawayga Jack
  6. Biddy (mother of Bobby Dixon and others)
  7. Billy (father of Dudley Bulmer)
  8. Billy Webb
  9. Bilmbil (wife of Ngamu Ngakuburla)
  10. Bindadelma
  11. Bujin
  12. Buthal (brother of Charlie Wallace)
  13. Charlie Gibson (aka Charlie Cooktown)
  14. Charlie Palmer
  15. Charlie Wallace
  16. Dirngulu (Maggie aka Maude)
  17. Duka
  18. Elizabeth Tulo
  19. Father of Tommy and Sammy Brown
  20. Gaalgujan (Maggie Wallis)
  21. Galganji
  22. Gulgi Galbay (Maggie Webb)
  23. Gungunbi
  24. Henry Baru
  25. Jack McIvor
  26. Jalbanmun Peter (grandfather of Lizzie Big Jack)
  27. Jimmy (father of Charlie Holdsworth)
  28. Jimmy (father of Tommy Dowling and others)
  29. Jinnie Bluey (mother of Sandy Petersen, Rita Florrie (Katchewan) and others)
  30. Johnny (Binhdiwarra)
  31. Kalgurdam (spouse of Orlander Rattler)
  32. Lizzie Douglas
  33. Lyla Gibson (wife of Charlie Summerhaze)
  34. Maggie (mother of Sambo Walsh)
  35. Maggie (wife of Jimmy Snider)
  36. Maria (Burrun) (wife of Mulun Jacko)
  37. Maria (mother of Dudley Bulmer)
  38. Matyi
  39. Maudie (wife of Ngandal George Northcotte)
  40. Midhaking
  41. Minnie aka Wawumduha (wife of Norman Arrami)
  42. Minnie Gibson (wife of Peter Rosser)
  43. Miriam Ngamu Bandir
  44. Moira (wife of Mulun Jacko)
  45. Mulgal
  46. Nellie (mother of Polly Bulmer)
  47. Nellie (mother of Polly Holdsworth)
  48. Nellie (mother of Tommy and Sammy Brown)
  49. Nellie (mother of Tommy Dowling and others)
  50. Nellie Nunggal (Yarkan)
  51. Ngamu Bayambi
  52. Ngamu Darnchidir (Stumpy)
  53. Ngamu Guubanyu
  54. Ngamu Marrgu (Jimmy)
  55. Ngamu Ngakuburla
  56. Ngandal (George Northcotte)
  57. Ngolongolo (Kitty)
  58. Ngulun Jacko
  59. Ngumbuibigu (Billy)
  60. Paddy McIvor
  61. Peggy Rootsey
  62. Ruth Bandir (Dudur)
  63. Tommy Point Lookout
  64. Topsy (mother of Peter Gibson and others)
  65. Waarigan
  66. Wulgali (mother of Charlie Wunbu Gordon and Tommy Confin)
  67. Wuthal (Nellie Coates)
  68. Yaalugure (wife of Barney)
  69. Yalngkarijubur (father of Earl Mitchell)
  70. Yegeran (wife of Bindadelma)
  71. Yirbil (Emma Capebedford)

To enquire as to whether you are a member of the Guugu Yimidhirr People as described above and are eligible to attend, please contact CYLC Anthropologist Tara Zaicz by email tzaicz@cylc.org.au or on free call number 1800 623 548.

If you have any queries about the purpose of the meeting, please contact CYLC Deputy Principal Legal Officer Louise Keepa by email lkeepa@cylc.org.au or on the free call number 1800 623 548.

For all other enquiries, including to RSVP, please contact CYLC Business Support Officer Elenoa Bolawaqatabu by email ebolawaqatabu@cylc.org.au or on the free call number 1800 623 548.

IMPORTANT – Attendance, Travel Assistance & Teleconferencing

For travel assistance, to confirm your attendance or for any general queries about the meeting, please contact Elenoa Bolawaqatabu at CYLC on free call number 1800 623 548 or by email ebolawaqatabu@cylc.org.au.

Note that there is limited funding available for travel assistance and requests must be made by Tuesday 6 October 2026. Teleconferencing facilities will also be made available at the meeting. If you would like CYLC to arrange a teleconference from your location into the meeting, whether you live at the location of the meeting or elsewhere, please contact Elenoa Bolawaqatabu at CYLC. CYLC is committed to providing every opportunity for eligible persons to attend the meeting.

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