Uncle Mike Ross

Olkola man, Mike Ross has been at the vanguard of land rights for the people of Cape York for the last 3 decades. At an early age Mike was anointed by his elders to be the person to lead them in an emerging era of land rights. Since then, Mike has dedicated his life to securing land rights and the protection of culture and country for his people and the people of Cape York. A sincere spokesperson, a gentleman and a distinguished bushman, Mike is a leader who goes about his business with an understated eloquence that mandates respect from the corridors of parliament in Canberra to the cattle-yards of Cape York. Mike has spent considerable time as a director and as Chairperson of the Cape York Land Council. He is also currently the Chairperson of the Olkola Aboriginal Corporation and has been for more than a decade. Mike is currently an applicant on one of the largest native title claims in Australia, the United Cape York Claim, which covers all unclaimed and undetermined areas of Cape York.

After leading a Traditional Owner negotiation team in years of negotiations with the Queensland Government, in December 2014, this resulted one of the largest transfers of Aboriginal freehold land in Australia’s history. This has established the Olkola People as the largest private landholder managing 869,822 hectares in Cape York and joint management partners with Queensland Parks in the largest new protected area in Queensland and allowed the Olkola People to develop one of the largest, and most successful savannah burning carbon abatement projects in Australia. Mike Has laid the foundations for his people, the Olkola People, and the people of Cape York, to reconnect to country and have sustainable livelihoods on country going into the future.