Quandamooka people gathered on Invasion Day, to reinstate the Aboriginal flag to its rightful place on Quandamooka Country, in Goompi.
In early December 2025, the Aboriginal flag was taken down by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, protected by the Queensland Police Service.
"Like thieves in the night, the government arranged to remove our symbol of identity that represents our rights and ownership of our place, without the consent or engagement of the Quandamooka people," community members said in a statement on Monday.
"The removal was political retribution for Quandamooka asserting our unceded sovereign rights. Recent lies perpetuated in the media about safety were fabricated to deliberately undermine Quandamooka people.
"Our flag must fly at this very important location, it is an active symbol of Quandamooka people's rights and the communities condemnation of the colonially-facilitated violence and dispossession that has affected our people for generations."
The community members said they reject the "current wave of government-led interventions" on their homeland and the "continuation of racist behaviour that drove a physical, spiritual and cultural genocide in so-called Australia".
"Today's action was about reaffirming our sovereign birthrights to be present on Country. Our flag flying is to remind our people to always stand tall and to have pride. It is a reminder to all visitors to our homelands that they are on Aboriginal land, and our lands must be respected," the community statement read.
"Through our self-determination we will ensure that our symbols of pride and dignity are continuously reinstated and our flags, as well as our people, remain forever standing. We call upon the greater Island community and entire nation to understand the value and importance of this country's colonial historical truth and to respect that Quandamooka people are the First peoples and owners of our homelands.
"Aboriginal peoples rights to self-determination as sovereign people is based on over 60 000 years of life on Country which will never be destroyed."
