MS 4082

• ACCESS

• SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

• BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

• SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

• SERIES LIST

• BOX LIST

The material is available for reading, copying and quotation by the AIATSIS Library users [Access code: A1 B5], with the exceptions of the following restrictions

Back to Top

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

Date range: 1979-1989

Extent: .36 metres (2 boxes)

Frank Brennan deposited the papers in the AIATSIS Library in April 1989. The papers are all photocopies and were received in excellent order. This order has been retained by the Library.

The papers in this collection date from the time Brennan was an adviser to the Bishops of Queensland on land rights legislation. They relate to Aboriginal land titles and services legislation for Queensland communities during the period 1982-89. Included in the papers are correspondence, minutes of meetings, reports and other records of the Aboriginal Advisory Council, Queensland and the Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council, Queensland, papers relating to the establishment of the Wet Tropical Rainforest World Heritage listing on Yarrabah land and to Deeds of Grant in Trust. There are also a number of addresses and lectures given by Brennan and photocopies of newspaper and journal articles on Aboriginal issues.

For a complete listing of the material by Brennan, that is held by the Institute, see the Mura® online catalogue.

The National Library of Australia also holds a collection of papers of Frank Brennan at NLA MS 3657. A series list for these is available.

Back to Top

Reverend Father Frank Tenison Brennan, a Jesuit priest and lawyer, was ordained as a priest on 14 December 1985. His academic qualifications include BA LLB (Hons) Qld, BD (Hons) MCD LLM Melb and DUniv QUT. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University where he was the first Visiting Fellow at the Australia and New Zealand Studies Center.

Brennan’s interests include Aboriginal rights, refugee rights, the Bill of Rights and constitutional reform, and intercultural and inter-religious perspectives on human rights in East Asia. He was Rapporteur at the Australian Reconciliation Convention in 1997.

In 1989 Brennan won the United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Award for articles written in support of Aboriginal rights. The National Australia Day Council named him as an Achiever of the Year for his contribution to the Aboriginal Community in 1994. In 1995 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his service to Aboriginal Australia, particularly as an advocate in the areas of law, social justice and reconciliation. Brennan shared the inaugural Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA) Human Rights Award with Pat Dodson in 1996. The National Trust named Brennan a Living National Treasure for his involvement with the Wik debate. In 2003 Brennan was awarded a Centenary Medal.

Brennan was appointed as the Founding Director of Uniya, the Jesuit Social Justice Centre in Sydney, in 1989. He is an Adjunct Fellow at the Australian National University Research School of Social Sciences, Honorary Visiting Fellow in Law at the University of New South Wales and was a member of the Council of the Constitutional Centenary Foundation.

Among Brennan’s publications are Land rights Queensland style: the struggle for Aboriginal self-management (St. Lucia, 1992), One land, one nation, Mabo: towards 2001 (St. Lucia, 1995), Sharing the country (Ringwood, 1991) and Consultation documents on Services Legislation for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in Queensland (Brisbane, 1986). Brennan and others wrote Finding common ground: an assessment of the bases of Aboriginal land rights (1986) and he has published a large number of pamphlets and articles in journals.

Reference:

1. http://www.uniya.org.au/about/staff.html

2. Who’s who in Australia 2002, p. 299

3. http://wwwlaw.murdoch.edu.au/newsletter/96n3/s03.html

Back to Top

SERIES LIST

Series 1     Correspondence, 1979-87   

Series 2     Wet Tropical Rainforest World Heritage listing and Yarrabah land, 1983-88

Series 3     Aboriginal Advisory Council, Queensland, 1980-83

Series 4     Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council, 1986-88

Series 5     Yallambee, 1980-87

Series 6     Papers of deeds of grant of land in trust, 1985-88

Series 7     Addresses, lectures, etc., 1983-88

Series 8     Consultation documents, 1982-87

Series 9     Miscellaneous papers, 1984-87

Series 10   Newspaper clippings, 1982-1989

Back to Top

This series consists of photocopies of correspondence dealing with Aboriginal services legislation and land rights in Queensland.

Much of the correspondence is with Queensland Ministers, the Queensland Premier and Deputy Premier and the Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Islander Advancement. Correspondents include P.J. Killoran, K.B. Tomkins, R.C. Katter and Francis Rush, Archbishop of Brisbane.

Also included in the series are photocopies of press releases, an extract from an address by Brennan, an extract from the Annual report of the Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Islander Advancement, copies of some newspaper articles and other papers.

Each page in the series is numbered and there is a correspondence index, compiled by Brennan, in Item 1.

Access:  The Depositor’s permission is required for access, copying and publication. [Access code A3 C3]

3 items

Back to Top >  Back to Series List

This series contains photocopies of papers relating to the establishment of a World Heritage area in the Wet Tropical Rainforests of North-East Australia.

Papers include photocopies of articles, correspondence, press releases and statements.

Corespondents include Senator Graham Richardson, the Yarrabah Community Council and R.C. Katter.

Access is open and copying for private study is allowed but the permission of the Yarrabah Aboriginal Council is required before quotation [Access code: A1 B3]

Included in this series are

2 items

Back to Top >  Back to Series List

This series consists primarily of minutes of meetings and special meetings of the Aboriginal Advisory Council for 1980-83 and includes records of discussions and reports of the Council’s Working Party meetings. There is a transcript of proceedings of Discussion Group 1 held at Rockhampton on July 13 1983.

Also included is ‘Work in progress’, annotated a ‘D.A.I.A. document’ and the minutes of the 12^th Torres Strait State Councillors Conference, Bamaga, 5^th-8^th July 1982.

Item 4 contains the ‘Report of the Aboriginal Advisory Council Working Party inaugural meeting, 25-27 August 1982 at Palm Island.

Access is closed. The Library Director’s permission is required for access, copying and quotation [Access code A2], except for Item 4 which is  available for reading, copying and quotation by the AIATSIS Library users [Access code A1 B5]

4 items

Back to Top >  Back to Series List

The Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council is a statutory body formed in 1984. It represents the interests of, and co-ordinates and provides support services to, Aboriginal Community Councils. It also advises the Minister on all matters and issues affecting Aboriginal people.

The series contains resolutions and minutes of meetings held between 1986 and 1988.

Access is closed. The Library Director’s permission is required for access, copying and quotation. [Access code A2]

2 items

Back to Top >  Back to Series List

This series contains mainly correspondence relating to the Deed of Grant in Trust to the Yallambee Reserve. Included is a ‘Report concerning a Deed of Grant in Trust for Yallambee Reserve’ from Mt. Isa Catholic Concern Committee (1985). Other matters covered include the provision of a recreation hall and maintenance to houses at Yallambee and Orana Park.

1 item

Back to Top >  Back to Series List

In this series there are examples of Deeds of Grant of Land in Trust (DOGIT). There are copies of deeds for grants to Palm Island, Weipa, Weipa Napranum, Badu Island, Lockhart River, Cherbourg and Hope Vale Aboriginal Councils. There are also copies of covering letters and a list of causes for concern by the Hope Vale Aboriginal Community.

1 item

Back to Top >  Back to Series List

In this series are the following addresses, lectures, etc. given by Frank Brennan.

Back to Top >  Back to Series List

This series contains copies of the following consultation documents prepared by Brennan: -

1 item

Back to Top >  Back to Series List

This series consists of papers distributed to Members and Delegates attending the Palm Island Workshop by the National Aboriginal Conference. Included are opinions of the National Aboriginal Conference Consultant Barrister, W.T. McMillan on the current Queensland services legislation (1984); comment on the legislation by Brennan (1984); speech notes by the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advancement, Bob Katter; and copies of the relevant legislation. There is also a ‘Statement of concern from delegates from Palm Island Workshop’, May 1984, issued by the National Aboriginal Conference.

Other papers are a speech by Roy Gray, Deputy Chairman of Yarrabah and Chairman of the Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council, Queensland on Yarrabah Ordination Day, 11 January 1987, a speech by Minister Bob Katter and an address by Roy Gray at the Deed of Grant in Trust handover on 31 October 1986.

2 items

Back to Top >  Back to Series List

In this series there are photocopies of newspapers clippings from some of the major Australian newspapers on Aboriginal issues and of articles from The Catholic leader, Land rights news, Social survey and other journals. A number of the articles are by Brennan.

1 item

Back to Top >  Back to Series List