Tribute to a Great Australian
The Central Land Council today paid tribute to Wave Hill Walk-Off veteran, M.Rangiari who died on the weekend.
CLC Chairman Mr Lindsay Bookie said that Mr Rangiari's contribution to the cause of land rights for Aboriginal people was enormous.
“Mr Rangiari should be considered as one of Australia 's greatest political figures and to take his appropriate place in our history.
“He was one of the few surviving Gurindji leaders from the 1966 strike and he remained a powerful advocate until just a few years ago when he became very frail,” Mr Bookie said.
On 22 August 1966 the Gurindji people working as stockmen and station hands on Wave Hill Station then owned by England 's Lord Vestey. Soon after they set up camp on part of their traditional homeland at Daguragu, a waterhole on Wattie Creek.
The walkoff began a long and bitter struggle. The Gurindji and their supporters were threatened with rifles and shotguns, and at one stage were near starvation. But despite enormous pressure from pastoralists and politicians they never returned to work at Wave Hill.
In 1967 Mr Rangiari was one of the Gurindji leaders to put his thumbprint on a petition to the Governor General, Lord Casey, requesting the return of their tribal lands.
He was an Executive member and an original member of the Central Land Council.
“We all give our sympathy to Mr Rangiari's extended family and to the people of Daguragu and Kalkarindji who will miss him very much,” Mr Bookie said.
13 November 2006
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