Pouring of the Sand – remembering the Gurindji Wave Hill Walk Off
A yarn from one of our readers remembering the Wave Hill Walk Off of 1966 led by Gurindji man, Vincent Lingiari.
Pouring of the Sand
In the territory north at a hill called Wave
The Blackfellas toiled under bondage of a slave
Never given dignity like other counterparts
The hurt of inequality burning through their hearts
The settlers had it easy as they overtook the land
And built upon the skills of the Blackfella’s hand
Lacked their own resources to manage on the station
Depending on the labour of the Gurindji nation
Up stood an uncle with some guts called Vince
Rounding up the folks in a voice to convince
To march off the job in an organised strike
For labour exploitation that had begun to spike
How they thought they’d do it in the face of retribution
Was down to Uncle Vince’s thoughtful contribution
‘Why should we be working if we aren’t getting paid?
This station would be nothing without our vital aid!’
A crooked British Barron was the centre of the battle
As he took up sacred land and filled it with his cattle
The dingoes and the kangaroos were subject to his killings
Failed to pay his workers their entitled five shillings
The state of inequality in need of proper fix
Was reason for the sudden strike of 1966
Gathered up the mob with the blessing of their peers
And entered in a protest for the next ten years
Determined to have access to a basic human right
Uncle and the mob and all continued on their fight
Rejected Barron’s lure of cash to get ‘em back on track
Decided not to budge until their land was given back
Such a genius Uncle Vince, crippled their production
Without the labour of the Blacks, stations couldn’t function
The strike taught all the cheating Lords a lesson to beware
Workers will walk off the job if treatment isn’t fair
It had become iconic, common British fashion
Pushing local mobs off land then throwing them a ration
Wrong-side business was the mode of operation
Turned the tide of public thought right across the nation
The situation came to end with pouring of the sand
The Minister from Canberra said ‘I give you back your land’
Applaud the mob that freed themselves from bondage of a slave
Their efforts were astounding and their actions very brave
In loving memory of Vince Lingiari and the Gurindji mob.
By N. Lawrence
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