Land Rights Act and Handback
The Wave Hill strike would eventually reshape the agenda of relationships between indigenous Australians and the wider community. Although initially an employee-rights action, it soon became a major federal issue when the Gurindji people demanded the return of their traditional lands.
The strike lasted 9 years. Over that time, support for Aboriginal rights grew as the struggle intensified. The protest eventually led to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. This act gave indigenous Australians freehold title to traditional lands in the Northern Territory and, significantly, the power to negotiate over mining and development on those lands, including what type of compensation they would like.
An important and symbolic event in Australian history occurred when, during an emotional ceremony in 1975, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam poured the local sand into Vincent Lingiari's hands and handed the Wave Hill station back to the Gurindji people.
On 7 June 1976, Lingiari was named a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the Aboriginal people.
Read more about this topic: Vincent Lingiari
Famous quotes containing the words land, rights and/or act:
“Ah! never shall the land forget
How gushed the life-blood of her brave
Gushed, warm with hope and courage yet,
Upon the soil they fought to save.”
—William Cullen Bryant (17941878)
“The common goal of 22 million Afro-Americans is respect as human beings, the God-given right to be a human being. Our common goal is to obtain the human rights that America has been denying us. We can never get civil rights in America until our human rights are first restored. We will never be recognized as citizens there until we are first recognized as humans.”
—Malcolm X (19251965)
“Youth doesnt reason, it acts. The old man reasons and would like to make the others act in his place.”
—Francis Picabia (18781953)