The remarkable story of Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda, the first Aboriginal to appeal to the High Court of Australia, is a tale of conflict, murder, conviction and justice, and ultimately the still unexplained disappearance of Dhakiyarr himself. It has all the makings of a movie script.

Seventy years on, the government records that tell the story are about to be revealed for all to read with its inclusion on the National Archives website Uncommon Lives, to be launched at the Archives in Canberra at 6 pm on Monday 8 November.

The website will be launched by Dhakiyarr’s grandson, Dhukal Wirrpanda, with three other members of the family, including Dhukal’s wife, celebrated Yirrkala artist Galuma Maymuru, in attendance.

The Hon. Ted Egan, Administrator of the Northern Territory, will speak at the event. He has a special interest in Dhakiyarr’s case – he wrote his Masters thesis on it, published in 1996 as Justice All Their Own: The Caledon Bay and Woodah Island Killings 1932–1933.

Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda was an Aboriginal elder from northeast Arnhem Land. In 1934 he was found guilty of the spearing murder of a white policeman, Constable Albert McColl, and sentenced to death. The case focused national and international attention on Australia’s treatment of Aboriginal people and was appealed to the High Court. When the Court overturned the conviction and sentence on 8 November 1934, Dhakiyarr was released from Fannie Bay Gaol but disappeared the next day.

The inclusion of ‘Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda: Appeal for Justice’ on the Uncommon Liveswebsite coincides with the 70th anniversary of the High Court’s decision.

Almost 70 years after Dhakiyarr’s story ended so tragically, the Wirrpanda family sponsored a ‘Wukidi’ or burial ceremony in Darwin in June 2003 to liberate his spirit and cleanse those involved in his death. The ceremony represented reconciliation between the descendants of Dhakiyarr and the descendants of Constable McColl.

The ceremony was held in Darwin, and participants included the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory Solicitor-General and the Chief Justice of the High Court. A documentary film of the Wukidi, Dhakiyarr v The King, was produced by Film Australia and aired by the ABC on 5 May 2004.

In telling Dhakiyarr’s story on its website, the National Archives is contributing to the reconciliation with Dhakiyarr’s descendents. It also confirms the National Archives commitment to ensure the archives on Indigenous Australians become more accessible.