Whats the Law on aboriginal artifacts

[Colmaca]

I found a stone Axe can I bring it home ? sell it ?

 

[Dirtdemon]

as far as I know not allowed to bring it home , not allowed to sell it

 

[Colmaca]

Its a waste being way out bush no one been there since 1900 or so but me and Wal I not find a law page on rules

 

[treasureman]

Its yours keep it.

 

[Greglz86]

Dont do it. Its bad luck.

 

[k man]

I think your safe to take unless it is a declared aboriginal site.

 

[Ozjono]

Dont do it. Its bad luck.

Haha LOL bad luck that's funny
:lol:

 

[Goldpick]

In QLD, the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act protects such finds, and must be reported to the Dept of Evironment and Resource Management, so I would say that it is probably not ok to take it. According to the act, if caught, that would incur a penalty of 1000 units, which currently equates to around $110000, so not worth the bother. :|

 

[HeadsUp]

Dont do it. Its bad luck.

Ask the spirits and if you have an ear for it they may say to drop it right where it was or place it elsewhere

I might take a photo , record the GPS and chat to the local indigenous elder about it

For anyone who thinks I am talking @%# , it is a fact that every year dozens ~ hundreds of tourists post artefacts back to the custodians of Ayers Rock asking for them to be put back because they had so much bad luck since taking them.

 

[Ozjono]

Lol. Dig a deep hole and put it in it fill it over and don't tell any one where it is or it will be more land taken from us.

 

[dave14110]

I would say nothing, if you do it could be declared aboriginal trust & they could possibly claim rights to the land also. No offence to Aboriginals but in my opinion this country & every part of it is everyone's.
It's like Ayers Rock now to most uluru, to me it's still Ayers Rock & Uluru is there name for it.
Just an opinion and no offence to them. Nobody should own this country or any part of it, nor should anyone be treated different from anyone else. Or benefit from been any nationality or race.
My understanding of Law is anything Heritage is to be report but then the government can restrict the area of find. Possibly resulting in heritage park which we can't detect on, not only that the finder here in Australia doesn't even get a reward for the find even if it's museum quality.
I'd like to see reward for detectorist or (finder) & land owner similar to that in UK.
Much better Idea and then we wouldn't feel the need to hide thing.

 

[Ozjono]

I would say nothing, if you do it could be declared aboriginal trust & they could possibly claim rights to the land also. No offence to Aboriginals but in my opinion this country & every part of it is everyone's.
It's like Ayers Rock now to most uluru, to me it's still Ayers Rock & Uluru is there name for it.
Just an opinion and no offence to them. Nobody should own this country or any part of it, nor should anyone be treated different from anyone else. Or benefit from been any nationality or race.
My understanding of Law is anything Heritage is to be report but then the government can restrict the area of find. Possibly resulting in heritage park which we can't detect on, not only that the finder here in Australia doesn't even get a reward for the find even if it's museum quality.
I'd like to see reward for detectorist or (finder) & land owner similar to that in UK.
Much better Idea and then we wouldn't feel the need to hide thing.

Nicely said. What I think and write are two different things Lol

 

[Goldtarget]

Head slap moment. It's already bad luck. It's been declared. Oh the joys. Here come the red tape brigade. Have a few too many tonight mate and hope you forget what it was and where you were. The end.

 

[silver]

It could be tens of thousands of years old, just because it comes to light doesn't mean that it's a recent drop. It would be part of some ones dreaming and as such should be left insitu and you should feel happy to be a part of that dreaming as well now. I have seen companies give large rocks to aboriginal organizations just to get them off of their land, instead of keeping them there and making it a special place,..and it is a bit of a shame that even all the people involved(both sides involved) never guessed that they would have been better off left in place,..as that is where the dreaming was happening and not in their new spot for the rocks,..anyone who would visit those rocks now would not get to feel the same feelings that they would feel if they were seeing them in the spot that they came from.

 

[AtomRat]

The way I see it, if it was not from some Aboriginal heritage location, you are safe to take it home. If it were from the Kirth Kiln National Park, then thats a different story, its like digging and aboriginal cemetery. But as I said, if its not from a protected area like that, keep it. I have found a skinning stone in the creek before and kept it

 

[dwt]

Australian Heritage Law.............Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2005C00228.
In Victoria, Heritage Act 1995
http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/heritage/about/legislation-and-other-protections-for-cultural-heritage

When searching Aboriginal Artifacts on google, this page on the forum is the second thing that comes up, just something to keep in mind when making your comments guys!
Mate i'd be checking the laws governing the state you found it in, and then make your choice on it from there

 

[AtomRat]

Good point dwt. thanks for the links, I had not needed to read that sort of info yet. As I stated, I found mine in the creek which means it could have come from anywhere, so I feel I have not broken no laws there.

 

[casper]

There's no debate for Victorian Forum members as it is stipulated in the conditions of your Miners Right.

Legality aside and from a moral point of view i support Silver's comment - well said mate.

casper
konigo, bunurong country

 

[WalnLiz]

It could be tens of thousands of years old, just because it comes to light doesn't mean that it's a recent drop. It would be part of some ones dreaming and as such should be left insitu and you should feel happy to be a part of that dreaming as well now. I have seen companies give large rocks to aboriginal organizations just to get them off of their land, instead of keeping them there and making it a special place,..and it is a bit of a shame that even all the people involved(both sides involved) never guessed that they would have been better off left in place,..as that is where the dreaming was happening and not in their new spot for the rocks,..anyone who would visit those rocks now would not get to feel the same feelings that they would feel if they were seeing them in the spot that they came from.

Probably needs one of our members more experienced in Aboriginal Law to make a clear distinction between "Cultural Heritage", and disposable artifacts which are not necessarily significant to a particular area or site.

Cultural heritage relates to agendas such as Rock shelters, carved or scared trees, engravings, paintings (rock), shell middens, fish traps, grinding groves, earth and stone arrangements etc. In short it has to do with "In Situ"evidence of archeological or historic significance to the Aboriginal community.

Artifacts such as spear heads and Axe heads (nothing to do with Dreaming), were used by the local aboriginals, but were also a very popular trading item transported all over the country, and as such not necessarily of significance to a singular specific locality or heritage.

If there's any Lawyer members out there with experience in Aboriginal Law, your advice would be welcome on this particular subject.

Cheers Wal.

 

[casper]

The local Aboriginal Cultural Centre is often also a "Keeping Place" and they would welcome donated items such as axes.

casper