After decades of campaigning, including a three-week sit-in at the park in 1994 and another in 2002, the Waanyi people have formally regained ownership of Boodjamulla National Park. More than 247,000 hectares of their ancestral land, including Lawn Hill Gorge and the World Heritage Riversleigh fossil deposits, has been returned. The land is leased back to the state for continued public access, with equal representation on a board of management. As Hayley Iles, chair of the Waanyi PBC, put it: 'Our elders fought very long to let everyone know that this is our country.' Many of those elders did not live to see this day. That's why this handback is a tribute to their resilience. It shows that persistent, organised community action, from protests to legal negotiations, can win back stolen land. This is a genuine win for Indigenous sovereignty and for all Australians who want to see justice done. Share this story to honour the Waanyi elders and the generations who never gave up. #auspol #landrights https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-04/boodjamulla-national-park-lawn-hill-gorge-handover/107102104