'Which Bloke Would Stand Up for Yalata?': The Struggle of an Aboriginal Community to Control the Availability of Alcohol

Legislation to restrict the supply of alcohol has been introduced in many rural communities across Australia over the past ten to fifteen years. Overall these restrictions have been at the instigation of Aboriginal groups. This paper records the history of the struggle of one Aboriginal community in South Australia to restrict the ready availability of harmful amounts of alcohol to its residents. Sixteen years after the first tentative attempts to control supply, the community succeeded in gaining legal controls over off-premises sales from three local outlets. During this period the community suffered great hardship, with many individuals experiencing poor health or premature death as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Now, twelve years after the legislation was enacted, there is evidence that the community is a safer and better place to live for its residents.