wave hill walk off

By cfritze

  • Rations enter into law

    Legislation requires that in return for their work, Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory should receive food, clothes, tea and tobacco.

  • Report exposes worker conditions

    The Gurindji people had lived on their homelands in what is now the Victoria River area of the Northern Territory for tens of thousands of years. The colonial government grants almost 3,000 square kilometres of Gurindji country to explorer and pastoralist Nathaniel Buchanan.

  • wards of the state

    Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory are made wards of the state.

  • walk off at wave hill station

    Around 200 stockmen, house servants and their families strike action at Wave Hill station. The community, led by Vincent Lingiari, walk off the station as a protest against the work and pay conditions, and land rights. The strike is supported by several non-Indigenous people. The Aboriginal workers do not return to work on Wave Hill station for the rest of the year, while negotiations continued.

  • Wages increase delayed

    The Conciliation and Arbitration Commission agrees to increase wages but defers implementation of its ruling by three years, a process that nets pastoralists an estimated $6 million. On Wave Hill station, the deferment of the commission's ruling and the refusal of the Vestey Brothers to pay Aboriginal workers' wages lead to heated discussions.

  • Labor vows to resolve land rights

    The Labor Party comes to power. Prime Minister Gough Whitlam announces in his election policy speech that his government will "establish once and for all Aborigines' rights to land".

  • Original lease overturned

    The original Wave Hill lease is surrendered and two new leases are issued: one to the traditional owners through their Murramulla Gurindji Company and another to Vestey Brothers.

  • Recommendation to add land

    The Aboriginal Land Commissioner recommends that an application by the Central Land Council on behalf of the Gurindji for traditional land comprising the Daguragu pastoral lease and some adjacent un-alienated crown land should be granted.