When Austrian researcher Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt travelled to Australia in the 1970s, he was given rare access to the Warlpiri people of the Northern Territory.
Senior Warlpiri lore men Jimmy Jungarrayi Spencer and Banjo Jungarrayi Tex, supported Professor Eibl-Eibesfeldt's research at their community of Yuendumu, almost 300 kilometres northwest of Alice Springs.
During his time with Warlpiri people, Prof Eibl-Eibesfeldt gathered about 800 hours of film, documenting community life and ceremony and collecting a number of culturally significant objects
Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt recorded the community's ancient cultural life and ceremonies. (Bernolf Eibl-Eibesfeldt-Hefa/AAP PHOTOS)
Prof Eibl-Eibesfeldt's son Bernolf Eibl-Eibesfeldt, who had travelled with his father to Yuendumu when he was a teenager, handed back the cultural objects to Warlpiri men on Thursday.
Among the collection of 24 objects are karli (boomerangs) Wurlampi (knives), Pikirri (spear thrower), Kurdiji (shields).
A shield that was taken to Germany in the 1970s has been returned to Walpiri people. (SVEN TRÄNKNER/AAP PHOTOS)
Nelson Tex is the son of Banjo Jungarrayi Tex, who helped Prof Eibl-Eibesfeldt at Yuendumu 50 years ago.
He couldn't travel to Germany for the return ceremony but said he was eager to see the objects once they return to Australia.
"I think about these objects and am in shock. The fact that my father's objects are there in Germany and coming home," he said.
"I want to follow in his footsteps and make sure my children do too. When these objects are brought back home, I want to be part of that and be able to share that with my children.
"I'm not going to stop teaching them."
A knife that has been returned to Walpiri community will be temporarily stored at the SA Museum. (SVEN TRÄNKNER/AAP PHOTOS)
The repatriation was co-ordinated by the Warlpiri Project, and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies' through its Return of Cultural Heritage program.
Senior Warlpiri lore man and elder Ned Jampitjinpa Hargraves thanked those involved in the repatriation.
"This day will be remembered, not just as a handover of objects but as a meaningful step in building understanding and respect between cultures," he said.
Warlpiri Project repatriation officer Jamie Jungarrayi Hampton said he was honoured to support his elders by travelling to Germany for the return of the important objects.
"The really unique thing about this collection is we know the men who made these artefacts," he told AAP.
"There's a strong family connection to these objects and obviously the cultural importance.
"We still practise our culture, we still speak our language and do our ceremony so these artefacts are really important in preserving and continuing that."
A nosebone has been returned as well as copies of the films taken of the community in the 1970s. (Supplied/AAP PHOTOS)
Mr Hampton said the Warlpiri delegation would also bring copies of the films Prof Eibl-Eibesfeldt had taken back to Australia.
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies chief executive Leonard Hill said being able to facilitate community access to the film material is significant.
"For some communities, some of that material document practices, cultural practises, ceremony, things like that, that have not been undertaken for some time," he said.
The material will be temporarily stored at the South Australian Museum, under the care of the Warlpiri Project.
The objects will return to Yuendumu permanently once the construction of a cultural centre in the community is completed.
The objects and the digitised film collection will be used to pass down cultural knowledge to younger generations of Warlpiri people.