Their return is part of the Australian Government’s Return of Cultural Heritage programme, which is led by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (Aiatsis).
A handover ceremony was held at the museum to mark what has been described as a “significant act of international cooperation and cultural recognition”. 
The event was attended by community leaders and international guests, including Larrakia representatives Nigel Browne and Mikayla Lee, Australia’s UK high commissioner Stephen Smith, Bristol lord mayor Henry Michallat, and the leader of the Bristol City Council, Tony Dyer.
The objects will be temporarily housed at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory until the opening of the Larrakia Cultural Centre in 2026. Planned as a landmark cultural facility, the centre is currently being built adjacent to the sacred site of Stokes Hill in Darwin Harbour.
