TLF ID M008478
'Wattie Creek' is an episode from the series 'Australia's heritage - national treasures with Chris Taylor', produced in 2009. In the clip, Taylor talks about the Wave Hill walk-off. He asks the viewer to imagine being asked to work for little or no money while being given only flour, sugar and tea for food, and only a tin shed for shelter. This was the situation for Aboriginal cattle workers. In 1966, Vincent Lingiari led 200 Aboriginal workers and their families in a strike against the poor conditions at Wave Hill station, which was on Gurindji land. Taylor says that 'what started as a strike became a nine-year battle to reclaim their lands'. Taylor interviews Jimmy Wavehill, a Gurindji Elder who was a stockman at the time of the walk-off. Wavehill says he was tasked by Lingiari to pass on the story of the walk-off to younger generations. The clip cuts to footage of Gough Whitlam pouring earth into Lingiari's hand in 1975. Whitlam says: 'I solemnly hand to you these deeds as proof in Australian law that these lands belong to the Gurindji people'. Lingiari says 'we're all friendly now. We're all mates'.