The phrase is said to have originated in the 1980s, with the Barkandji people in far-western New South Wales, who were fighting for legal recognition and rights as sovereign owners of their homelands.
"[2][3] It asserts that Aboriginal peoples were the first on the continent now known as Australia, occupying and caring for the land for more than 65,000 years,[4] and that sovereignty of Country has never been ceded.
"[5] The phrase is commonly chanted at protests, rallies and celebrations by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia, and is synonymous with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land rights, self-determination and sovereignty.
[6][7] It also responds to the lack of recognition Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples receive in relation to sovereignty, and as a fundamental understanding about the truth of Australia, but sometimes presents a challenge when dealing with Australian immigrant communities.
[13][14] Following the war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, the slogan is often paired with "from the river to the sea" by Aboriginal activist groups in solidarity with Palestinians.