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always was always will be

“Always was, always will be” is a powerful Aboriginal land rights declaration in Australia, not just a generic motivational phrase.

What “Always Was, Always Will Be” Means

At its core, the phrase is a statement about sovereignty and continuous connection to Country: it asserts that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were the first people on the continent now called Australia, have cared for it for tens of thousands of years, and that their sovereignty over the land has never been ceded.

Because of this, the full call-and-response often heard at events is:

“Always was, always will be …”
“Aboriginal land.”

You’ll hear it in:

  • Welcomes to Country and Acknowledgements of Country
  • Protests, marches and rallies about land rights and justice
  • NAIDOC Week events and other First Nations celebrations

Origin and History

The phrase grew out of the Aboriginal land rights movement in far‑western New South Wales in the 1980s, particularly among the Barkandji people.

  • Barkandji Elder Uncle William Bates is widely associated with the phrase’s emergence during campaigns for recognition as sovereign owners of their homelands.
  • In a well‑known story, his father, Uncle Jim Bates, is quoted as replying to the idea that “whitefellas own it” by saying that they had only borrowed it and that “it always was, and always will be Aboriginal land.”
  • Activism by Bates and others contributed to the return of a New South Wales national park to Traditional Owners, helping cement the phrase as a rallying cry.

By the 2000s, it had spread widely across First Nations activism and community culture, and in 2020 it was chosen as the national NAIDOC Week theme, further embedding it in public consciousness.

How It’s Used Today (Quick Scoop)

The phrase works on several levels at once:

  • Political statement – It challenges colonial legal ideas like terra nullius and asserts that First Nations sovereignty and title to land were never surrendered or extinguished.
  • Protest chant – In marches and rallies, “Always was, always will be” is a succinct, unapologetic way to affirm that “this is our land.”
  • Cultural affirmation – It reminds both First Nations and non‑Indigenous people that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are still here, still connected, and still caring for Country after more than 65,000 years.
  • Educational phrase – It is used in schools, museums and public institutions (for example, the Australian Museum and reconciliation/NAIDOC materials) to frame discussions of history, truth‑telling and ongoing responsibilities to Country.

In 2020 NAIDOC Week materials, it was explicitly framed as recognising that First Nations peoples have occupied and cared for the continent for over 65,000 years, highlighting continuous custodianship long before colonisation.

Related Phrases and Nuances

You’ll often see or hear versions like:

  • “This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.”
  • “This land is Aboriginal land – always was, always will be.”
  • “Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.”

All of these emphasise:

  • Continuity from the deep past through the present into the future
  • A refusal to accept the idea that colonisation erased or replaced First Nations ownership or sovereignty

Linguistically, it also echoes English proverbs about constancy (“as it was, so it shall ever be”), but here tied specifically to land, identity and political struggle.

Forum and “Latest News” Angle

In forums and social media, “always was, always will be” comes up in several ways:

  • As a show of solidarity in threads about Invasion Day/January 26, referendums and truth‑telling processes
  • In debates where some people support the phrase as a truthful acknowledgment of history, while others (often from non‑Indigenous or newer migrant communities) struggle with or contest its implications for contemporary Australia
  • In posts sharing NAIDOC Week themes, protest photos, or murals and public art that feature the slogan

Recent commentary around NAIDOC themes and reconciliation materials continues to treat “Always Was, Always Will Be” as a central expression of First Nations resilience, pride and ongoing land rights claims.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.