“I want to promise you that this act of restitution which we perform today will not stand alone.” These are the words of Australian Labor Party Prime Minister Gough Whitlam when he famously poured that handful of earth into Vincent Lingiari’s hand almost 50 years ago.

No Prime Minister has set foot on Gurindji County ever since.

As we draw close to this year’s Freedom Day Festival – a commemoration and celebration of the courageous stockmen and their families who stood up to power and won, forever changing the nation – we remind everyone that Gurindji Country is still an incredibly important heartland for those campaigning for change. The Wave Hill Walk-off remains an enduring story and symbol of hope, not only for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people, but for many Australians.

In 2022, we have called on the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (along with the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney) to make the journey here and walk with us on Freedom Day. And we encourage them to reflect deeply on Whitlam’s iconic 1975 speech when considering this significant invitation.

LISTEN TO THE SPEECH HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdpVBHxpArI

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