London's Natural History Museum has struck a deal with Australian aboriginal leaders over the remains of 17 indigenous Tasmanians it holds.

The museum had agreed to return the remains to Tasmania, but not until tests were carried out on the bones.

But Tasmanian aborigines viewed the tests as a desecration of their beliefs and took their case to the High Court.

Under the settlement, four DNA samples from the 19th Century specimens will be preserved in Tasmania.