They started a lengthy discussion about the deteriorating Flying Doctors service, vital to the outback community. They continued to discuss the Queensland couple and the state of the road. Wiluna Shire maintains the road, as far east as the grader operator can be bothered to drive. Thereafter it is the responsibility of the Aboriginal Warburton community , who do not give a damn, since only white 4WD travellers use it. Inevitably, the land rights discussion came up.
Aborigines can claim crown land as their own if they can prove that they are the traditional owners.
Many tourist attractions, national parks and some pastoral leases are on crown land. The station manager s wife told us about another station that had been divided into two halves, where the Aborigines got one part. The rest was too small to maintain cattle, no-one wanted to buy the lease. The lessors had therefore practically been ruined by the Aboriginal takeover but they could get no compensation from the state. Taking sides in these conflicts is not easy, since both sides have valid points.