Hard as it is to imagine now, within the lifetime of most of the readers of The Green Man (less than 40 years ago) Australian Aboriginals were not recognised as citizens of Australia. They were not allowed to own property and any money they earned was administered on their behalf by whites.

In 1966 Vincent Lingiari and other members of the Gurindji worked at Wave Hill Station 600kms south of Darwin in the service of Lord Vestey. Lord Vestey, known as Lord Spam to his friends, was at the time one of the wealthiest men in the world, owning land in Australia, South Africa and South America. His business was the production of beef for the world market. One of the ways that he got so rich, presumeably, was by utilising workers who he did not have to pay. Before 1968 it was illegal to pay an Indigenous worker more than a specified amount in goods and money.

Not only did the Gurindji work on his outback station whilst receiving practically no payment, (salt, beef, bread and tobacco, and six dollars a week at a time when average weekly earnings were around $90 per week) government benefits for which Lord Vestey's Gurindji employees were eligible were paid into Lord Vestey's account.

Vincent Lingiari had had enough and lead a walk out, literally. The Gurindji walked off Wave Hill to Wattie Creek and there they camped. Initially it was dismissed as a stunt and the general consensus was that they had no chance against one of the wealthiest men in the world.

This was not a strike that was born of a minor grievance, these people had been robbed of their land and, to add insult to injury, they were being used as virtual slaves to exploit it. From an initial dissatisfaction with their conditions the Gurindji the grievances soon crystalised on the issue of land, they wanted some of theirs back. They were convinced of their cause and determined to see it through.

To quote Vincent Lingiari

They said, "Hey! You're stealing another man's country." And I said, "Well, what was before Lord Vestey born and I born? It was blackfella country."

For eight years they sat at Wattie Creek. As the years past their determination transformed them into national matyrs. Frank Hardy, a local author and activist picked up their cause and ensured that it was kept in the press. They were a festering sore on the side of Australia's indigenous policy. International attention became more prominent as each year past until in 1975 the government finally took a small but significant step in recognising the human rights of the Gurindji and their right to the land that their ancestors had occupied for 40,000 years.

I will leave Kev Carmody to finish the story.

The Whitlam Government started to, like, negotiate with Vesteys to get a portion of the Gurindji land back for them. The conclusion was, in 1975 it was symbolically handed back. You'll notice Gough pulls the old man's hand up because he can't see too well. The old man...he doesn't smile when Gough lifts his hand up. As soon as that sand hits his hand, you can see he grinned. "Got 'em!" (Laughs) "I got it." There's a painting done by Peter Hudson. It's Vincent Lingiari, it's Frank Hardy at a typewriter, and it's me standing there with no shirt on, and Paul Kelly. You know, the painting does depict the people that have told this story. And it's about a remarkable struggle led by a remarkable man.

Paul Kelly wrote a song this epic struggle and Kev Carmody sang it. I have included the lyrics below. If you enjoy Kev Carmody's singing and want a copy of the song then click on the album to buy it.

From Little Thing Big Things Grow

P. Kelly/K. Carmody

Listen to it here.

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
From little things big things grow

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
From little things big things grow

Vestey man said I'll double your wages
Seven quid a week you'll have in your hand
Vincent said uhuh 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
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
From little things big things grow

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
From little things big things grow

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
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow
From little things big things grow