An Australian myth is that Aboriginals reside only in the far reaches of Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. Such is far from the truth.
This project aims to understand contemporary Australian Aboriginal connections to 'Country'. The concept of Country is integral to Australian Aboriginal meaning and culture, and Country and the individual are anthropologically inseparable and co-dependent. Being ‘on Country’ implies residency within a tract of landscape involving cultural origins and responsibilities, whereas being ‘off Country’ implies residency external to this home land. How, and to what degree, these on and off protocols operate has not previously been researched. The project aims to explore regional and urban residency relationships in relation to Aboriginal Corporation membership eligibility and to Country self-nurture and custodianship relationships. It is highly relevant to Indigenous communities worldwide as their people move from their 'Country' to satisfy higher education and employment aspirations. The issues are central to improving Indigenous community engagement in planning.