The Gurindji Strike or Wave Hill 'Walk off' was a fundamental event in the Australian Aboriginal struggle for rights. The Gurindji's were faced with low wages and poor conditions on the cattle station which sparked the start of the protest but soon after the focus shifted to the land rights of the Gurindji people (ABC net, 2014). On the 23rd of August 1966, 200 Gurindji stockmen, house servants and their families went on strike on the Wave Hill cattle station in Kalkarindji in the Northern Territory. This essay will discuss what led up to this event and its goals, why was this seen as a 'landmark' event and what the ongoing impacts are from the event. The Gurindji strike showcases the true struggle for the proper rights that the Australian …show more content…
“Wave Hill was a major step on the long road towards equality between settlers and indigenous Australians,” says Professor Deborah Rose, an anthropologist at the University of New South Wales in Sydney (Dineley, 2013). This situation of land theft by the white settlers was, and still is to this day, a very prominent issue and unfortunately many did not have the same resolution as the Gurindji strike. This strike was seen as "the first claim for traditional Aboriginal land in Australia (Korff, Jens. 2014)." A very giant step forward and the beginning of Aboriginal land rights occurred on August 16, 1975, five years after the start of the Gurindji strike, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in the Labor party handed over the entitled land to the Gurindji people. This event carved the path for the Northern Territory land rights act of 1975 and in the same year the Gurindji people were able to purchase the pastoral lease for the Gurindji land and the developing in to the Gurindji people gaining the free hold title to the waterhole on Wattie Creek in 1986, which is where the Gurindji people stayed after leaving the cattle station during the strike in 1966. This moment was seen as a pivotal point in Aboriginal History as Gough Whitlam poured soil from the Gurindji land into the palm of Aboriginal elder Vincent Lingiari at the ceremony of purchasing the pastoral lease. In May 2004, Vincent Linguari the leader during the initial strike at the Cattle Station was memorialised as part of the reconciliation place in Canberra (Korff, Jens. 2014) The Wave Hill Walk off was different from previous Aboriginal strikes, it was the first to receive strong support from the trade unions and other organisations around Australia and the attraction of the media and involvement of the author Frank Hardy gave the Gurindji’s grievances more of a wider scale audience
The miners in the Eureka Stockade fought as hard as they could to change the gold licences to be fair. The Eureka Stockade shaped Australians colony, because we wouldn’t have as much democracy today. In the Eureka Stockade some of the key figures were John Humffray Basson, Peter Lalor, Timothy Hayes and Anastasia Hayes, with the miners. Robort Rede and Governer Hayes, with the Governor.
In the 1971 Gove land rights case, Justice Blackburn ruled that Australia was terra nullius prior European settlement. This judgement was challenged for a total of 3 years but all attempts failed. However, on the 20th May 1982, Eddie Koiki Mabo and 4 other Indigenous people began their legal claim for ownership of their traditional lands on the island of Mer in the Torres Strait. The case was later taken to supreme court and after ten years, the case was closed and the government granted the indigenous people of australia their rightful land. Before this, Eddie had been helping his community from a young age.
Vincent Lingiari and the wave hill strike is another significant person and event in the aboriginal civil rights movement becoming a national iconic figure representing the struggles of Aboriginals having their land recognised. Vincent Lingiari was an aboriginal man part of the Gurindji people who worked in the Wave-Hill cattle-farm in the Northern Territory. The working and living conditions there were very poor for the Aboriginals and were paid much less than non-aboriginals were. On 23 August 1966 tired of the poor treatment, Lingiari decided to go on strike along with 200 other Gurindji people, the strike lasted nine years, the longest in Australian history. Later on The Gurindji people did not care about better wages anymore and they
The Wave Hill Walk Off, also referred to as The Gurindji Strike was a strike by approximately 200 Gurindji Aboriginals in August 1966 at Wave Hill cattle station in Kalkarindji, Northern Territory. The Gurindji tribe’s traditional land enveloped approximately 3,250 km² of the Northern Territory. The first Europeans arrived in Gurindji in the 1850s, when explorer Augustus Gregory crossed into their territory. Numerous other early settlers traversed the area over the following years until the 1880s, when large pastoral operations were established. After years of gross neglect, humiliation and distinct unfair conditions provided to the aboriginal workers in comparison to the Anglo-Saxon workers, the walk off commenced in August 1966 as a form of protest.
The station’s land encompassed Gurindji country, and the Gurindji people were taken on as cheap workers. In the 1960s, conditions became poor for Aboriginal workers. They received under minimal wages, had poor working and living conditions and disrespectful treatment. Vincent Lingiari, who was an Aboriginal rights activist, thought it was the time to make a change.
After 10 long years Torres Strait Islander Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo has lead indigenous Australians to a victory over the Queensland government. This win this case is a historical moment, as of yesterday, the indigenous Australians have been recognised as the owners of Murray Island. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are known to have resided in Australia, 40,000 to 60,000 years before the British arrived in 1788. When the British took over they decided to take all the land for themselves even though the indigenous Australians were here first. This court case recognises indigenous Australians unique connection to the land and acknowledges that they have the rights to the land.
this event has the support of the liberal and labour parties as well as the prime minister Whitlam who had helped approved the land rights act, this was also a step into having trust between both parties. After Prime Minister Whitlam was put into power, he promised to push for Aboriginal land rights, the Australian government bought privately owned land to give back to the Aboriginals since the act had been introduced, and almost 50% of the northern territory was returned to the ATSI people. The year 1975 marked a great historical year in Australia as it was the year the Prime minister poured soil into indigenous Australians' hands to symbolise their victory in claiming Australia as their
Pascoe is still able to provide a genuine and straightforward narration: one which does not ignore the real issues of displacement and dispossession, but rather endeavour to confront them. As Pascoe himself went to the places in his book and met the people he talks about, his work is further authenticated and readers are able to gain a greater perspective through his real-life interactions. From ‘Lake Corangamite’, it can be concluded that it is only through thorough acknowledgement of Australia’s past and the way the subsequent actions that follow, will enable the nation to move forward. It is through this that the country will be able change, from the practice of shrouded ignorance and self-deception to one of full acknowledgment and respect for the traditional owners of the
In recent years, the issue of Australia Day marking the ‘invasion’ of ‘white man’ has sparked controversy between the Indigenous and non-indigenous populations of Australia. In his article titled “January 26th is the birth of modern Australia – deal with it”, Peter Moore advocates that the date of Australia Day should not be changed and he provides humour and solidarity for those who share his perspective. He does this through heavy use of attacks and generalisations with an informal, aggressive tone. Conversely, Natalie Cromb, with her article titled ‘Australia Day/ Invasion Day debate: #ChangeTheDate – but not right now”, criticizes the idea of the date changing at present time as she attempts to rally supportive readers to stand up to the
The 1967 Referendum marked a momentous victory for the indigenous people of Australia and their bid for civil rights. This digital exhibition explores the causes and effects of the referendum. Images and documents in the causes gallery focus on the factors that led to the referendum whilst the effects gallery centres on its consequences. Causes The sources exhibited in the Causes gallery range from strategies, to key figures to provide a detailed picture of the factors that led to the 1967 Referendum.
Charles Perkins, born in Alice Springs 1936, was a controversial leader within the Aboriginal community. Perkins was known both for this willingness to fight for what he believed in, and his determination, although this confidence brought him into conflict with community leaders and the government. Perkins was involved in the ‘Freedom Ride’ travelling through rural New South Wales in the early 60’s. This ride was a significant contribution highlighting the predicament the Aboriginals faced. Being Aboriginal himself, this ride demonstrated that Aboriginal people could stand up for themselves.
The Gurindji Walk Off to Aboriginal land rights was impacted historically, significantly, socially and politically. In 1966 the Gurindji people walked off Lord Vestey ’s Wave Hill cattle station to protest against poor wages and living conditions. Instead of accepting these circumstances, they made the decision to walk off the station to a nearby creek where they set up a camp.
Lingiari was part of the wave hill cattle station in 1965, working for Lord Vestey. The pay for the aboriginal people on the land was shocking, and their food rations were poor. Of course, the Gurindji people were not happy and went on strike. Jens Korff, who has studied aboriginal people since 1999, from the national library of Australia states that at first this strike was for the salary to be raised to $25 a week, but soon grew into a larger
When looking at these direct factors of why the protest started, it is necissary to understand that more then 100 years of injustices had also lead to this turning point. On the 26th of January 1972 (Australia Day) former prime minister Billy Mcmahan announced that his government would never grant Aboriginal land rights (Tan, 2016). Mcmahon had chosen the most provocative day possible to announce this as many Aboriginal people consider this to be invasion day. In doing so it can Aboriginal activists were forced to make some sort of stand, they chose to do this in the form of a non-violent protest on the lawns parliament house in Canberra. Four activists from Redfern went there and sat on the front lawn in with, at the start, only a beach umbrella (Tan, 2016).
In 1957, I and fellow activist Jessie Street launched a petition in support of the referendum culminating in the 1967 victory. In 1974, I decided to direct my energies to the plight of my own people, the 16,000 descendants of South Sea Islanders. I founded the National Commission for Australian South Sea Islanders and, in 1975, made my first emotional journey to my father’s birthplace on