Wave Hill 1966 From Little Things Big Things Grow Click here for test topics

Vesteys, a British company which ran the cattle station, employed local Aboriginal people, mostly Gurindji. Working and living conditions for Aboriginal people were very poor. Vestey's Wave Hill Station was located about 600 kilometres south of Darwin in the Northern Territory.

In August 1966, Vincent Lingiari , led a walk-off of 200 Aboriginal stockmen, and their families from Wave Hill as a protest the work and pay conditions. The protesters camped at Daguragu (Wattie Creek)and asked for the return of some of their traditional lands.

In 1972, a new Labour Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam announced that this would be done.

Daguragu was bought by Australian Government and, on 16 August 1975 Prime Minister Whitlam transferred land title to the Gurindji, symbolically handing the soil to Vincent Lingiari.

This was not a change in the law. The Commonwealth government had bought the land for the Gurindji.

In 1976 the Australian government now led by the Liberal Party's Malcolm Fraser created new laws that recognised Aboriginal Land rights in the Northern Territory.

From Little things Big Things Grow

Gather round people let me tell you're a story

An eight year long story of power and pride

British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiarri

Were opposite men on opposite sides

Vestey was fat with money and muscle

Beef was his business, broad was his door

Vincent was lean and spoke very little

He had no bank balance, hard dirt was his floor

From little things big things grow X2

Gurindji were working for nothing but rations

Where once they had gathered the wealth of the land

Daily the pressure got tighter and tighter

Gurindju decided they must make a stand

They picked up their swags and started off walking

At Wattie Creek they sat themselves down

Now it don't sound like much but it sure got tongues talking

Back at the homestead and then in the town

From little things big things grow X2

Vestey man said I'll double your wages

Seven quid a week you'll have in your hand

Vincent said uh-huh we're not talking about wages

We're sitting right here till we get our land

Vestey man roared and Vestey man thundered

You don't stand the chance of a cinder in snow

Vince said if we fall others are rising

From little things big things grow

Then Vincent Lingiarri boarded an aeroplane

Landed in Sydney, big city of lights

And daily he went round softly speaking his story

To all kinds of men from all walks of life

And Vincent sat down with big politicians

This affair they told him is a matter of state

Let us sort it out, your people are hungry

Vincent said no thanks, we know how to wait

From little things big things grow X2

Then Vincent Lingiarri returned in an aeroplane

Back to his country once more to sit down

And he told his people let the stars keep on turning

We have friends in the south, in the cities and towns

Eight years went by, eight long years of waiting

Till one day a tall stranger appeared in the land

And he came with lawyers and he came with great ceremony

And through Vincent's fingers poured a handful of sand

From little things big things grow X2

That was the story of Vincent Lingairri

But this is the story of something much more

How power and privilege can not move a people

Who know where they stand and stand in the law

From little things big things grow X4

From Little Things Big Things Grow, student response

From Little Things Big Things Grow The Wave Hill walk off 1966 -1972

1. Who was Lord Vestey and what was he doing in Guringji country?

2. Who was Vincent Lingari?

3. What did the Vestey’s company pay their Aboriginal workers?

4. Where did Vincent take his people?

5. What did Vesteys offer to get the workers to go back to work?

6. How did Vincent respond to the Vestey’s offer?

7. Where did Vincent go to tell his story?

8. How long did the Gurindji wait at Wattie Creek?

9. Who was the tall stranger?

Now Go To The Treaty Page