In 1996, the Niapali, Banjima and Innawonga peoples negotiated and signed the historical Yandi Land Use Agreement with Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd.
Gumala Aboriginal Corporation (GAC) was created at that time to represent the collective interests of the Traditional Owners in negotiations with corporations and to develop and sign the Yandi Agreement.
The Yandi Agreement was the first major land use agreement to be signed in Australia and meant that mining operators were able to proceed with operations located in the central Pilbara region, which is Banjima, Innawonga and Niapali land.
Gumala Enterprises Pty Ltd was later developed as an enterprise arm of GAC, to manage the business assets of GAC on behalf of the Traditional Owners and to explore opportunities for growth within a range of industries. Fully owned by GAC, Gumala Enterprises has a Board partially consisting of Traditional Owners.
Over time, Gumala Enterprises has developed into three divisions that reflect our core businesses: Gumala Contracting, Gumala Tourism and the ESS Gumala Joint Venture.