The Bundjalung of Byron Bay Aboriginal Corporation (Arakwal) was established in 1996 and primarily works for the betterment of the Bundjalung of Byron Bay Aboriginal (Arakwal) People, land and waters. The Corporation is incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.

We have a Board of Management, which currently has nine members, and employ 3 full time staff. Our Board meets approximately bi-monthly with an annual general meeting, as well as other meetings as required on specific topics such as native title matters. Board members also represent our Corporation at various meetings and on committees with other agencies such as the Cape Byron Reserve Trust, Cape Byron Marine Park, the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, and Byron Shire Council.

Our members

are Aboriginal people of the Bundjalung People of Byron Bay:

• descended* from Aboriginal people who lived and/or held native title rights in the Agreement Area at the time of first contact by European settlers in 1820s-30s

• are known to the acknowledged elders of the Bundjalung People as members of the Bundjalung People of Byron Bay; and

• are resident within the traditional country of the Bundjalung People of Byron Bay; or have maintained their primary identification with the Bundjalung People of Byron Bay through regular visits with Bundjalung People of Byron Bay community in traditional country of the Bundjalung People of Byron Bay and are acknowledged by the elders of the Bundjalung People as recognising and observing the laws and customs of the Bundjalung People of Byron Bay.

(* descended as set out in Schedule 3 of our Corporation Rules)

Our executive and staff

Information about the Arakwal Board members will go in here with some points about what they do on behalf of the members

Photo of the 2010-11 Board here to the right: Back Row left to right: Theresa Nicholls, Loraine Harding, Rhonda King (not board member), Yvonne Stewart, Annette Kelly, Sharon Kelly, Tina King and in the front: Delta Kay.

Corporation staff information will go here with some points about what they do on behalf of the members

Photo: Board member Theresa Nicholls goes through some business in progress with staff member Jennifer

The primary objective of the Corporation is to relieve poverty, sickness, destitution, distress, suffering, misfortune or helplessness of needy members of the Bundjalung People of Byron Bay of the land and waters in and around Byron Bay and surrounding areas of New South Wales through:

(a) improving housing, living conditions and general standards of living by the provision of land, housing and other buildings and other services for our people’s use and benefit;

(b) improving vocational skills, employment prospects and employment opportunities of our community members; and

(c) arresting social disintegration by strengthening and fostering development of our Aboriginal identity and culture, ensuring that all programs and actions are in accordance with our cultural values, customs and practices.

Our corporation objectives are to be achieved by, but not limited to, the following:

• seeking land and/or compensation for the Bundjalung People of Byron Bay of the land and waters in and around Byron Bay under Native Title Act (1993) or by any other means to further Corporation aims

seeking partnerships or Development Enterprise to improve the above objectives, through implementing the Bundjalung of Byron bay Aboriginal Corporation Corporate Plan.

The Bundjalung of Byron Bay Aboriginal Corporation (Arakwal) is responsible to represent the interests of the Arakwal people. Our corporation is engaged in a wide range of key activities to help achieve our objectives in the following areas:

• Working on Country
• Living on Country
• Economic Development

Learn More