Gurindji Case







This case called Gurindji was a turning point in the recognition for Land Rights.The case started in 1965 when the Northern Australian Workers Union applied for equal pay and conditions for Aboriginal workers.This was an ongoing struggle from 1942.
In March 1966 equal conditons were granted but a "slow worker" clause meaning that thise people deemed by the pastoralists as "slow workers' could be paid less. Aboriginal people were deemed as "slow workers" and paid less.
Many Aboriginal people worked for the British pastoralist Lord Vestey, but they were sick of working for less pay so they walked off the Vestey's station.
This dramatic walk-out received plenty of support from people around Australia and instead of returning to work they retured to their traditional lands.
In 1968 the Federal cabinet rejected the principle of Land Rights for Aboriginal People, in 1971 Lord Vesty agreed to surrender the land to the Guringji and iin 1972 the Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, promised legis;ation that would allow Aboriginal people to claim traditional lands.
In 1975 Gough Whitlam handed to an elder named Vincent Lingiari the land that Gurindji people owned.The fight did take 10 years in the passing of the 1976 Northern Territory's Aboriginal Land Rights Act.
The Yirrkala Gove is another very important milestone in Aboriginal Land Rights.The Gove peninsula is in the Northern Territory, this area is very rich in bauxite.Robert Menzies granted 50 million pounds to a bauxite mining projectin Arnhem land, but the Yirrkala sent a bark petition written in their own language as well as English to the House of Representatives in 1963.This petition was about secrecy of the deal and in failing to consult with the local people.

In 1968 legislation was passed granting a lease to bauxite mining company, the Yirrkala started proceddings in the Northern Territory Supreme Court in an attempt to protect the land. This case failed but in  1971Justice Blackburn delivered a decision that recognised the Yirrkala people's system of laws including land ownership. But he could not legally acknowledge this due to the British declared Australia "Terra Nullius"at the time of initial possession.
In 1972 Tent Embassy followed soon after and Aboriginal and Non Aboriginal people echoed the call for national Land Rights legislation around the country.
Questions


1. looking at this photo with Vincent Lingiari and Gough Whitlam what aspect of this photograph makes it a good symbol for Land Rights.
2. write a brief summary on Aboriginal peoples rights on the land.
3.Government responses to the Yirrkalas fight for the land?
4.Who was Lord Vestey?
5.