The Wave Hill Walk-off: a defining moment in Australian indigenous rights

Located in the Northern Territory, Wave Hill Station was a sprawling pastoral lease owned by British multinational Vesteys.

The Gurindji people, like many Indigenous Australians, were subjected to severe wage discrimination, being paid less than their non-Indigenous counterparts, often only in rations rather than money.

These conditions, coupled with the dispossession of their ancestral lands, stirred discontent among the Gurindji.

The walk-off was a bold act of defiance in the face of the systemic discrimination faced by Indigenous people in Australia.

After leaving Wave Hill Station, the Gurindji people established a makeshift camp at Wattie Creek (Daguragu), a site of significant cultural importance to them.

They demanded the return of some of their traditional lands, adequate wages, and better working and living conditions.

However, the government initially insisted on treating the matter as a simple wage dispute, neglecting the central issue of land rights.

The walk-off gained significant national attention, generating widespread support from trade unions, church groups, students, and a broad spectrum of the public.

This marked a critical shift in the national consciousness regarding Aboriginal rights.

In response to mounting pressure, in 1968 the Australian Council of Trade Unions successfully obtained equal wages for Aboriginal pastoral workers.

However, the Vesteys responded by dismissing many Indigenous workers, further highlighting the need for land rights.

For eight years, the Gurindji stayed at Wattie Creek, living in harsh conditions but resilient in their fight.

Their tenacity and the national attention they garnered set the stage for groundbreaking changes.

In 1975, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam symbolically handed back part of the Gurindji's traditional lands to them.

This event was marked by Whitlam pouring a handful of soil into Lingiari's hand, an image that remains iconic in Australian history.

It led to the enactment of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, the first federal law that allowed for a mechanism for Indigenous Australians to regain traditional lands.

The Wave Hill walk-off is regarded as a cornerstone of the Aboriginal land rights movement in Australia.

It was not just a protest about wages; it was a profound statement about Indigenous Australians' connection to their land and their demand for self-determination.

The persistence of the Gurindji people and their subsequent victory demonstrated that Indigenous Australians could successfully fight for their rights.

This inspiring act of resistance continues to reverberate in the collective memory of Australia, a reminder of the struggle, resilience, and dignity of the Indigenous peoples and their enduring fight for justice and recognition.

Vincent Lingiari was a Gurindji man who played a crucial leadership role in the Wave Hill walk-off, making him a key figure in the Indigenous rights movement in Australia.

As a head stockman at the Wave Hill Station, Lingiari had witnessed firsthand the exploitative wages and harsh working conditions that his people were subjected to.

He was acutely aware of the injustices and dispossession the Gurindji faced and was committed to securing a better future for his people.

In 1966, Lingiari led the 200 Gurindji workers and their families in a strike and walk-off from the Wave Hill Station.

Despite the hardship and uncertainty that followed the walk-off, he showed immense determination and resilience, insisting that his people would stay at Wattie Creek (Daguragu) "until we get our land back."

Lingiari's leadership during this time was instrumental in garnering national and international attention for the Gurindji cause.

He met with politicians and advocated the Gurindji case, asserting their land rights and fighting for improved working and living conditions.

His role in the walk-off went beyond being a protest leader. Lingiari became a symbol of Indigenous resistance, inspiring other Indigenous communities to fight for their land rights and self-determination.

His greatest achievement came in 1975 when, after almost a decade of protest and negotiation, the Australian government symbolically returned a portion of Gurindji's traditional lands.

Prime Minister Gough Whitlam personally handed Lingiari a handful of soil, a powerful symbol of land return and a milestone in the Aboriginal land rights movement.