Uneven Class Action Payments Cause Anger Across Arnhem Land

The money arrived in some Arnhem Land bank accounts, but many people who may have been entitled to compensation never registered for the class action. Aboriginal organisations in north-east Arnhem Land say they have been left to deal with the anger and confusion that followed.

The case was led by former station worker Minnie McDonald and settled in 2024 for $202 million. It covered thousands of Aboriginal workers who received little or no pay while working on pastoral stations, missions and other workplaces in the Northern Territory between 1933 and 1971.

In August 2025, the Federal Court heard that the settlement had been calculated using an estimate of up to 8,750 affected workers. At that time, 5,761 workers and descendants had lodged claims. Months after registrations closed, the court heard that the scheme had about 500 fewer claimants than expected.

Wanyubi Marika, chair of the Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation, said he was among many people in the region who did not know about the October 2025 deadline. Both of his parents had worked during the period covered by the claim. His father, Milirrpum, worked as a labourer for the Australian Defence Force, while his mother, Liyapidiny, worked as a nurse’s assistant in Yirrkala.

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They only get [work] for clean-em-up, cleaning yard or stock works, and all that with very small money, where the Balanda [Westerners], they get higher package level.

The Australian War Memorial says Aboriginal people employed by the ADF in the Northern Territory from 1933 faced conditions similar to those on cattle stations, including long hours, poor housing and diet, and low pay. Marika said his father received very little for work such as cleaning yards and handling stock, while non-Indigenous workers received higher pay.

He said his mother sometimes worked through the night as a nurse and midwife. She also administered congregations for the local Methodist church on Sundays and later received an Order of Australia medal for her health work.

The case has left communities facing an uneven outcome: some residents received substantial payments, while others say they did not know they needed to register before the deadline. Lawyers and administrators involved in the scheme, meanwhile, have received millions, according to the report.

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Very, very hardworking woman, and for that health djama [work] she received an Order of Australia medal.