ABSTRACT
The protection afforded to places of worship in Australia is derived from the more general though limited protection of religious freedom, provided for under the Australian Constitution. Contemporary Australia offers an instructive case study precisely because of its unique multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-faith setting, which makes respect for and protection of the sacred an unusually challenging task. For contemporary Australia, the challenge posed by the sacred has even greater ramifications. For the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia, as for Indigenous peoples elsewhere, sacred spaces have an altogether different and more pervasive significance. Sometimes, sacred sites are obvious, such as ochre deposits, rock art galleries, or spectacular natural features. The Sacred Sites Act, provides a degree of legislative support for two Aboriginal organizations: the Northern Land Council and the Central Land Council, enabling them to monitor the legislation, along with the use of land activities on Aboriginal lands.
