In short:
The Natural History Museum in London has handed over the remains of 36 First Nations ancestors to Australian representatives.
More than 1,775 First Nations people’s remains have been repatriated from across the world, including more than 1,300 from collecting institutions and private holdings in the United Kingdom.
What’s next?
Thirty sets of remains handed back from the Natural History Museum under the Australian government’s stewardship while their traditional custodians are identified.
The remains of 36 First Nations people have been returned to Australia during a formal ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London.
The ceremony saw six ancestors’ bodies handed over to four Indigenous representatives from the Woppaburra, Warrgamay, Wuthathi, and Yadhighana communities in Queensland.
The remaining 30 ancestors are under the Australian government’s stewardship while their traditional custodians are identified.
“It is our cultural duty and responsibility to bring our ancestors home, to be reburied on country, finally laid to rest, with dignity and finally at peace,” Woppaburra representative Wayne Blair said.
He described the repatriation as “an eternal flame. The eternal healing is both spiritual and physical”.
“The repatriation of ancestors’ remains is the embodiment of reconciliation and healing for First Nations communities across Australia,” Mr Blair said.
“Domestic and overseas, you are not returning science specimens, you are returning ancestors to their families, their descendants, whose eternal pain of loss brings healing.”
Keron Murray, a Wuthathi man representing his community at the ceremony, said it was a vital step in healing the wounds of the past and restoring the spiritual and cultural balance that was disrupted.
“For the Wuthathi people, bringing our ancestors home is not just about physical return — it is about respect, dignity, and reaffirming our deep connection to country,” he said.
“It allows us to fulfil our cultural obligations, honour our old people, and ensure their spirits can finally rest where they belong.
“This process strengthens our community, reinforces our identity, and helps heal the intergenerational trauma caused by their removal.”
The remains of more than 1,775 First Nations people have been repatriated from across the world, including more than 1,300 from collecting institutions and private holdings in the United Kingdom, according to the Australian government’s Office for the Arts.
This was the fourth return of remains from the Natural History Museum to Australia.
“Museum staff carried out detailed archival research to understand the provenance of the ancestors, working with complex historical resources held at several organisations,” it said in a statement.
“A report was shared with the Australian government and communities, who then outlined their wishes.”
The Commonwealth government released a national cultural policy in 2023 to acknowledge the importance of respecting and promoting the rights of First Nations people to repatriate their ancestors back to their homelands.