Warning: Contains Spoilers for Territory season 1Territory’s dramatic family dynamics and power struggles over land have gotten fans of the Netflix show questioning who exactly is in charge of different locations seen throughout the series.Territory’s primary story revolves around the Lawson familyas different family members vie for control of Marianne Station while, at the same time, outside competitors try to take the land from them, culminating in intense conflicts like the one that played out in theTerritoryseason 1 finale.
As the title implies, land ownership was central to the lives of the people occupying the region and period depicted in the series.Much of the show’s complexity revolves around the line of successionincontrolling Marianne Stationand which groups really have a claim to the land, but the show itself does provide some helpful insight intoTerritory’s land ownership hierarchy.
Land Ownership Is Divided Between The Aboriginal Native Title, Pastoral Leases & Mining Leases
Each Group Makes Their Own Claim To The Land In Marianne Station
One of the primary claims to the land within Marianne Station is by the Aboriginal groups that live on and near the station. This claim to ownership is primarilybased on historic occupancy of the area and legal protection for sacred sites. The older Native Australian characters are staunchly against doing business with the Lawson family, Campbell Miller, and Sandra Kirby because of their interference with and disrespect of Aboriginal customs. However, the younger Aboriginal characters, Nolan and Keeley, make business deals with Sandra Kirby in order to grow their business and channel money back into their community, respectively.
Pastoral Leases also make up a large percentage of land ownership inTerritory,with the primary pastoral leases being held by the Lawson family, Campbell Miller, and Nolan Brannock. While theLawsons, who own Marianne Station, have the largest area of land, Campbell Miller schemes throughout the show to overthrow them, and Nolan plans to grow his own station. Pastoral leases are also the most complex type of land claim becausepastoral leases have to defer to both Aboriginal Native Title and Mining Leases on pastoral land.
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InTerritoryepisode 1, Sandra Kirby explains to her son, Lachie, that she can buy a mine that is technically on Lawson land becausemining leases are at the top of the hierarchy. Sandra states that while the cattle ranchers own everything on their land, there is flexibility in who controls the land itself. Because she has the right permits and works around Aboriginal Native Title, the other characters cannot stop her from using the mine for business.
How Much Power The Lawsons Really Have Over The Land At Marianne Station
The Lawsons Have Less Power Than They Claim To Have
Marianne Station is the biggest cattle station in the world, but the Lawsons do not always have power over what really goes on over the vast amount of land that Marianne Station covers. Their lack of control stems partially from the fact the Lawsons cannot govern such a vast amount of land completely.Marianne Station is simply too large for the Lawsons to know what is happening all the time throughout the whole area of the station. This is proven multiple times throughoutTerritory, as several other characters steal their cattle and use their land to live or hunt on.
While the Lawsons hold power over the land at Marianne Station in name, their actual grip on controlling the land and their cattle business is much more tenuous.
Beyond the physical struggle to maintain power over their land, there are also competing legal claims that detract from their full ownership. While the Lawsons hold power over the land at Marianne Station in name, their actual grip on controlling the land and their cattle business is much more tenuous. ThroughoutTerritoryseason 1, Sandra Kirby plots to build a road through Marianne Station and the Lawsons are powerless to stop her. Likewise, Aboriginal Native Title in certain places within Marianne Station, such as the “sorry place” prevent anyone from building on that land.
Sandra Figures A Way Around The Lawsons Claim To The Land
InTerritoryepisode 1, Sandra and Lachie are seen flying over Marianne Stationon their way to Daniel Lawson’s funeral, and Sandra points out a mine that she is buying on Lawson land. However, over the course of season 1, it is revealed that not only is she buying the mine,Sandra is also planning to build a road directly through Marianne Station, from the mine to the coast. Because the Lawsons do not technically own all the land at Marianne Station for themselves, Sandra Kirby only needs to keep the correct governmental permits for the road and her mining business in order to build on Lawson land.
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Additionally,Sandra Kirby makes several shady deals with other characters to move the road construction along more quickly. She convinces Keeley to let her drive through Aboriginal land, despite this land being sacred, and she convinces Nolan to let her build a port on his land. In making these business deals without fully disclosing her intentions, Sandra gains the approval she needs for her mining road. It is only in theTerritoryseason 1 finale that audiences finally learn the entirety of Sandra’s plan and are left wondering whether the other characters will be able to stop her.
Territory
Cast
Set against the backdrop of the world’s largest cattle station, this drama follows the intense generational conflict that ensues when a clear heir is absent. As rival factions compete for control, the series examines themes of legacy, power, and the struggle for dominance over the land’s future.
