King urged to back return of Aboriginal treasures to Australia

THE King has been asked by indigenous leaders in Australia to support the return of tens of thousands of Aboriginal artefacts from British museums.

- Russell Myers

As the monarch prepares to land in Sydney today, campaigners urged Charles to "become an advocate and an ally" during his trip Down Under, where he will meet local groups next week.

Research by the British Museum and the Australian Research Council identified 39,000 indigenous relics held in 70 museums in the UK and Ireland.

On his six-day visit to Australia, the King, below, will on Tuesday meet the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and take part in a smoking ceremony at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Sydney.

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