Unity: Wave Hill Walk Off 2026 50c Silver Proof Coin

2026 marks two major anniversaries for Indigenous Australia: 60 years since the Wave Hill Walk-Off and 50 years since the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976. The Royal Australian Mint commemorates these milestones with this coin.

The Wave Hill Walk-Off began in 1966 when the Gurindji people, led by Vincent Lingiari, left the Wave Hill cattle station in the Northern Territory to protest poor wages and conditions. What started as a labour dispute soon grew into a powerful call for land rights, as the Gurindji asserted their enduring connection to Country. Their determination captured national attention and reshaped Australia's understanding of justice and equality.

In 1975, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam symbolically returned Gurindji land at Wattie Creek, pouring soil into Lingiari's hand, creating one of the most enduring images of reconciliation. This historic hand back helped pave the way for the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976, the first legislation to recognise Aboriginal land ownership.

The coin's reverse features a design created in collaboration with the Gurindji people, showing a stylised representation of the Wave Hill Walk-Off, an artistic representation of the iconic hand over between Gough Whitlam and Vincent Lingiari, and micro text of Lingiari quotes. The word UNITY is embedded within the overlapping shadows of the Gurindji community. Struck to the Mint's renowned proof quality, the coin is presented in a case with certificate of authenticity and outer carton.