The original aim of the project was to examine treaty and agreement-making with indigenous Australians and the nature of the cultural, social and legal rights encompassed by past, present and potential agreements and treaties.
The Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements with Indigenous Peoples in Settler States: their role and relevance for Indigenous and other Australians began in March 2002, as an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project. The original aim of the project was to examine treaty and agreement-making with indigenous Australians and the nature of the cultural, social and legal rights encompassed by past, present and potential agreements and treaties. The project involved an examination of the legal history and foundations of agreements and treaties, an audit of current agreements, their purposes, status and outcomes, and international comparative research on treaty and agreement-making.