But to which Aborigines does The Block at Redfern belong? Up on the ninth floor, the Aboriginal Housing Company launched proceedings to assert its right, as the owner, to take possession of this small but historically symbolic patch of grass in urban Sydney bounded by Eveleigh, Caroline, Louis and Vine streets.

The Block has been occupied since Sorry Day in May last year by the Redfern Aboriginal tent embassy in opposition to the $70 million Pemulwuy Project proposed by the AHC and its Aboriginal chief executive, Mick Mundine.

The AHC, which bulldozed derelict housing on the site in 2011, proposes to a replace it with a commercial centre, shops, a new gym, accommodation for 154 university students and 62 affordable homes for Aboriginal people.

But Mr Mundine says that, without government help to fund the homes, their construction is not viable without first building the commercial centre. The embassy protesters do not believe the homes will ever be built, and the bitter feud has resulted in multiple court hearings already, with accusations of assault against parties on both sides of the battle.

On Friday, lawyers including senior counsel Geoffrey Watson, appeared in court for a directions hearing that took minutes.

The AHC has named only one defendant, Jenny Munro, who was among the "aunties" who established the tent embassy. She has labelled the AHC building plans an exercise in "social cleansing" that will gentrify the area and dismantle the Aboriginal community that took its roots from a Whitlam government grant in the early 1970s.

The AHC says it is determined to rebuild a strong community free of the drugs, crime and violence that blighted The Block.

"This is the first procedural step in a civil action to remove the protesters so that we can get the development under way and bring about positive change for the benefit of our community," said Alisi Tutuila, the AHC's new chairperson.

She said the AHC had issued a trespass notice in February to members of the tent embassy, "led by Ms Jenny Munro, who are trespassing on The Block".

Ms Munro, who has until July 7 to file her defence, was unwell and did not appear in court.

Outside, a tent embassy member and rapper who uses the stage name Felon Mason said: "I live in a home now that is nicer than my old home in Redfern, but I would prefer to be back with my community.

"They have Little Italy in Leichhardt, the Greeks in Marrickville and the Lebanese in Bankstown, but they want to cleanse Redfern of its Aboriginal community. We won't cop that."