Hobart Mercury - November 20, 1999
Author: GEORGIA WARNER

TASMANIA'S inter-community ``black war'' took a new turn yesterday when an Aborigine opposing the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre confessed to breaking into a sacred keeping place and taking tribal ancestral remains.

More than a week after police began investigating the removal of 21 wooden boxes from the Aboriginal-controlled Oyster Cove site, self-styled ``grassroots'' Aborigine Doug Maynard told The Mercury yesterday he and a fellow anti-TAC campaigner were responsible.

The confession prompted TAC legal manager Michael Mansell last night to warn there would be 6000 Tasmanian Aborigines ``needing to be placated''.

But Mr Maynard made no apologies for the removal of the remains.

He warned the move was only the beginning as the newly formed Sovereign Council of Elders, which he supported, began taking on the TAC and its administration.

Mr Maynard said he and his colleague drove to the keeping place after midnight about one-and-a-half weeks ago.

They used a crowbar to ``bust open'' three locks on the door.

They then stashed the boxes of skulls, hand and thigh bones and other remains into the back of their car, to take to a safe keeping place of their own.

They said they got permission from their elders who were unhappy at the way the remains had been kept.

``The keeping place looks more like an outdoor dunny, it is no bigger than a wardrobe inside,'' Mr Maynard said. ``They've brought back these remains from overseas and kept them in boxes there.

``It has angered a lot of people in the community.

``The remains are now in a safe keeping place somewhere on the land and they will remain there until the community decides what should be done with them.

``I haven't stolen anything, I haven't broken any white laws.

``These are Aboriginal remains, I am a worthy custodian and they are in safe hands.''

Police said TAC administrator Heather Sculthorpe rang them when she was told of the situation by The Mercury.

She said: ``I'm ropeable and I will now ring the police and confirm what I thought''.

Mr Mansell led one of a number of delegations to overseas museums and institutions to campaign for the release of the remains several years ago.

Last night, he accused Mr Maynard of playing politics with ``the remains of our tribal ancestors''.

He said the removal of the remains ``was something the community found difficult to believe could actually happen''.

``There is an obligation to return these remains, just as there was on those thieves who took them overseas,'' he said.

Mr Maynard said he would rather go to jail and that it was time the Tasmanian Aboriginal community took notice of the Sovereign Council of Elders and the fact they did not recognise Mr Mansell, Ms Sculthorpe or the TAC as their leaders.

The missing items

Items reported missing to police include:

Twenty-one wooden boxes

Two skulls

One lot of human remains

A lower jaw bone

Small bones from a hand

A thigh bone

Five stone artefacts

Parts of a midden

A plaster skull