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home / archives / politics / australian / federal / keating / 25th October 1985
 

Special delivery!

Uluru (also known as "Ayers Rock" or simply "The Rock") in Australia is the world's biggest monolith.

In October 1985, Prime Minister Bob Hawke had returned from the CHOGM conference to Treasurer Paul Keating's report that inflation had increased by 2.2%, and to face fierce opposition from the then Northern Territory State Government to the handback of Uluru, with claims being made that the hand back would divide Australia and be bad for manangement of the area. On 26th October, 1985, the title to Uluru was officially returned to the traditional Aboriginal owners by the Australian Government. Other than an earlier promise to stop tourists climbing the rock being reversed with the condition for regaining title being for the climbs to be continued, Uluru and its surrounding park are now managed by the people of the Anangu tribe in co-operation with the Australian Nature Conservation Agency.