Kumanjayi Walker inquest heads to Yuendumu with Coroner Elisabeth Armitage hearing from community

Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage met with senior Elders before reconvening the Kumanjayi Walker inquest in Yuendumu. See the emotional photos and video here.

The Territory Coroner’s Court court has convened in the heat and the dust of Warlpiri country in an emotional and historic visit to Yuendumu as part of an ongoing inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage and her counsel assisting team were joined by lawyers and officials on Monday as the senior men — Mr Walker’s cousins, uncles and grandfathers — welcomed the court to country with traditional song and dance.

From there the group proceeded to house 511 — the “memory house” — where the 19-year-old Warlpiri-Luritja man was fatally shot by Constable Zach Rolfe during a bungled arrest on November 9, 2019.

Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage visits Yuendumu during an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. Picture: Jason Walls

Mr Walker died a short time later and Constable Rolfe was charged with his murder but was acquitted on all charges by a Supreme Court jury in March.

Outside the red house, now adorned with Aboriginal flags and flanked by floral tributes, Ms Armitage took the time to shake hands and share a few quiet words with each one of the dozens of women who gathered there to welcome her.

Robin Japanangka Granites welcomes the public to Yuendumu. Picture: Jason Walls

After seeing in person for the first time the room where the fatal confrontation took place just over three years ago to the day, Ms Armitage took her seat on the floor of the basketball stadium where she would hear from anyone who felt they had something to say.

Before the truth-telling ceremony was closed to the public, Warlpiri Elder Robin Japanangka Granites told the assembled crowd how the community had “suffered greatly because we are hurt that he was taken away from us”.

Signs on the Tanami Road to Yuendumu in memory of Kumanjayi Walker. Picture: Jason Walls

“This shooting was captured on (police body-worn camera) video for the world to see and today they are now watching,” he said.

“You may have heard things about our community or Kumanjayi Walker during the court, but we are here to tell you the truth.”

Mr Granites said as “the ones who really knew him and loved him”, the Yuendumu community had pulled together in the wake of the shooting, buoyed by an outpouring of grief from around the country.

“We saw people marching across the country supporting us, everyone in this nation of Australia, even the world,” he said.

“People who stood by us, spiritually, emotionally and in prayers - I thank them all.

“This brought hope and we felt seen and heard, we felt supported, not by our government or the system, but by the Australian people, which is all of us kardiya (non-Indigenous) and yapa (Warlpiri).”

Mr Granites said while in many ways the “kardiya system has failed us”, the Coroner’s historic visit would be “all about telling the truth”.

“They didn’t want to know about our culture and the kardiya system has failed Kumanjayi Walker,” he said.

“Today is important because this is the first time we are telling the truth about what had happened to Kumanjayi in house 511, memory house.

“Here today at Yuendumu, we are going to tell the truth about what happened.”

The inquest continues in Yuendumu on Tuesday before Constable Rolfe is due to testify in the Alice Springs Local Court for the first time on Wednesday.