Gurindji people
The Gurindji are a group of Indigenous Australians living in northern Australia, 460 km southwest of Katherine in the Northern Territory's Victoria River region.
Gurindji are most well known in the broader Australian community for The Gurindji Strike, led by Vincent Lingiari, in 1966.
Their land was handed back to them in 1975 by the Australian prime minister, Gough Whitlam. They were granted freehold title, receiving inalienable title to almost all of Wave Hill Cattle Station, 3,250 square kilometres of their tribal land – paving the way for further land rights victories in Australia.
Gurindji people share many similarities in language and culture with the neighbouring Warlpiri people.
Two Gurindji communities are Kalkaringi and Daguragu. The Daguragu Community Government Council provides municipal and other services to the township and surrounds of Kalkaringi (formerly Wave Hill) and to Daguragu, a community settled on land under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act.
The township of Kalkaringi is 260 hectares. It was gazetted as an open town in September 1976 (hence permits are not required for residents or visitors). Kalkaringi is located on the Buntine Highway, which runs between Top Springs, NT and Halls Creek, Western Australia.
Daguragu is located 8 km north of Kalkaringi via a bitumen road. Permission from traditional owners, through the Central Land Council, is required to visit Daguragu. Daguragu became the first cattle station to be owned and managed by an Aboriginal community. It is still owned and managed by the Murramulla Gurindji Company.
The Council also services a number of outstations where traditional owners reside. Traditional owners belong to the Gurindji language group. There are also other residents of Daguragu and Kalkaringi who belong to other language groups, including the Warlpiri. The population of Daguragu/Kalkaringi is approximately 700 people.
In August every year, a large celebration is held at Kalkarinji to mark the anniversary of the strike and walk-off. Known as Freedom Day, people gather from many parts of Australia to celebrate and re-enact the walk-off.
