Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "Tribute: Vincent Lingiari" [1988] AboriginalLawB 5; (1988) 1(30) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 3

• Tribute: Vincent Lingiari

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Tribute:

Vincent Lingiari

Vincent Lingiari, the man considered by many people as the originator of the Aboriginal land rights struggle has died. In 1966, he led his people, the Gurindji, in a walk-off from the Wave Hill Station, N.T., owned by the Vestey empire, to protest appalling working and living conditions. But what began as a strike over their treatment, especially the treatment of Gurindji women at the hands of white stockmen developed into a stand to regain their land and their identity.

For many years, the Gurindji maintained 'a vision of their own land', on which they planned to establish a cattle station and educate theirchildren in both Gurindji and English language. In 1975, the Prime Minister Gough Whitlam handed the Gurindji a 1,250 km2 pastoral lease at Wattle Creek (in Gurindji language it's called Daguragu - a place for us). This constituted the first official recognition by the Australian Government of land rights.

In an interview late last year, Vincent Lingiari said: 'My life has seen many changes, a lot of hatred - and a victory well worth fighting for'.