Deed of Grant in Trust

A Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT) is the name for a system of community-level land trust established in Queensland to administer former Aboriginal reserves and missions. They came about through the enactment by the Queensland Government of the Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984 and Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984 in 1984, allowing community councils to be created to own and administer former Aboriginal reserves or missions under a Deed of Grant in Trust).[1] The trusts are governed by local representatives who are elected every three years to councils called Incorporated Aboriginal Councils. These councils have the power to pass by-laws, appoint police for the community, and are responsible for maintaining housing and infrastructure, running the Community Development Employment Program and issuing hunting, fishing and camping permits.[2] As such, they work much like a local government, but are different in character as they own the land they administer on behalf of the community.[3]

Most of the Torres Strait Islands entered DOGIT arrangements in October 1985, with the notable exception of Mer Island, which became the subject of the Mabo No.1 (1988) and No.2 (1992) cases. The first Aboriginal community to receive a DOGIT was Hope Vale on 27 July 1986.[4] In the years following, many DOGIT communities were established—mostly in the Cape York Peninsula, Torres Strait Islands and Carpentaria regions. The Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004 extended to community councils many of the provisions and benefits of the Local Government Act 1993 normally enjoyed by shire councils.

From 1 January 2015, some trustees, namely those classified as "urban" or "future urban" (numbering 34) are able to convert parts of the collective title to either Aboriginal freehold or Torres Strait Islander freehold title.[5]

Communities

The following is a list of DOGIT communities in Queensland.

Name of community Area (km²) Population Excised from Date granted Deed number Primary occupants
Badu Island102.0786Shire of Torres17 October 198521296126
Bamaga67.6869Shire of Torres27 October 198621328057
Boigu Island71.7295Shire of Torres17 October 198521296127
Cherbourg31.31241Shire of Murgon28 August 198616929228Wakka Wakka
Dauan Island3.6120Shire of Torres17 October 198521296130
Doomadgee1786.01181Shire of Burke198750184313Gangalidda/Waanyi
Erub (Darnley) Island5.9320Shire of Torres17 October 198521296129
Hammond Island15.7208Shire of Torres17 October 198521296131
Hope Vale1115.4856Shire of Cook27 July 198621321062
Iama (Yam) Island1.7363Shire of Torres17 October 198521296138
Injinoo795.4463Shire of Cook27 October 198621328058
Kowanyama2571.91112Shire of Carpentaria23 July 198721345064Kokoberra, Yir Yorant, Kunjen
Kubin Island152.5226Shire of Torres17 October 198521296132
Lockhart River3596.9605Shire of Cook29 October 198721352021
Mabuiag Island6.4240Shire of Torres17 October 198521296133
Mapoon550.1262Shire of Cook26 April 1989(none)Tjungundji
Napranum2007.3921Shire of Cook1 October 198921378037
New Mapoon93.9381Shire of Torres27 October 198621328060
Palm Island71.02165City of Townsville27 October 198621328055Bwgcolman, Manbarra
Pormpuraaw (Edward River)4362.0653Shire of Carpentaria28 July 198721345063Thaayorre, Mungkan
Poruma (Coconut) Island6.5175Shire of Torres17 October 198521296128
St Pauls Island18.5239Shire of Torres17 October 198521296136
Saibai Island104.5368Shire of Torres17 October 198521296134
Seisia (Red) Island2.6184Shire of Torres29 October 198721352022
Ugar (Stephen) Island0.457Shire of Torres17 October 198521296135
Umagico (Alau)53.4267Shire of Torres27 October 198621328059
Warraber (Sue) Island0.9239Shire of Torres17 October 198521296137
Woorabinda388.1928Shire of Duaringa27 October 198630563185
Wujal Wujal (Bloomfield River)11.0361Shire of Cook29 October 198721352023Kuku Yalanji
Yarrabah (Cape Grafton)156.12599Shire of Mulgrave27 October 198621328056Gujangii
Yorke Island1.6336Shire of Torres17 October 198521296139
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See also

References
  1. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (31 December 2010). "Native Title Resource Guide: Queensland" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  2. "DOGIT Communities..." Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2007.
  3. Kaye, Stuart (1997). The Torres Strait. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. pp. 12–15. ISBN 90-411-0506-9.
  4. Pearson, Noel (1989). "The Deed of Grant in Trust and Hope Vale Aboriginal Community, North Queensland". Aboriginal Law Bulletin. 2 (38): 12. Archived from the original on 21 November 2009.
  5. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land". Austrade. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
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