What was the Wave Hill walk-off?
The Wave Hill walk-off was a strike by Gurindji workers at Wave Hill cattle station in the Northern Territory, beginning on 23 August 1966. Led by Vincent Lingiari, it became a landmark in the fight for Aboriginal land rights.
About 200 Gurindji stockmen, domestic workers and their families walked off the station, owned by the British company Vestey. They protested against poor wages and living conditions.
The strikers set up camp at Wattie Creek, or Daguragu, on their traditional land. Their demands soon grew from fair wages to the return of their land.
Return of the land
The strike lasted for years and drew support from unions, students and activists across Australia. In 1975, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam handed the Gurindji leaders the title to part of their land, pouring sand into Lingiari's hand.
The walk-off inspired the Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1976 in the Northern Territory.
The story is told in the song From Little Things Big Things Grow by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody. The anniversary of the walk-off is celebrated each year at Kalkaringi with the Freedom Day Festival.