A new 50-cent piece is now in circulation across the country with the design depicting one of the biggest land rights movements in the country’s history. Photo: Royal Australian Mint.
A new 50-cent coin is now circulating across the country with the design honouring the Wave Hill Walk Off 1966 and the birthplace of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976.
The coin celebrates the courage, resilience and determination of the Gurindji people, whose actions helped change the nation forever.
The Wave Hill Walk Off, led by Vincent Lingiari in 1966, began as a protest against unfair wages and living conditions on Wave Hill Station, and it led to one of the biggest land rights movements in Australian history.
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury Dr Andrew Leigh said the story of the Gurindji Strike and the 1975 hand-back had been shared in various ways over the following decades, but this coin release told that story in its entirety.
“This coin honours a defining moment in Australia’s history and recognises the extraordinary courage of the Gurindji people. The dual anniversaries in 2026 provide an important opportunity to continue that storytelling.
“What resonates most strongly is the human story – the families who walked away from certainty into uncertainty because they believed their land was worth fighting for.”
A Royal Australian Mint spokesperson said the design depicts the 1966 Wave Hill Walk Off and the path it forged towards the 1975 handover of land, and the passage of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act a year later.
“In the foreground, a gathering of Gurindji people stand together beneath the hot sun, their shadows stretching across the landscape as they set forth on the walk-off,” they said.
“Looking towards distant hills, the horizon transforms into the hand of Vincent Lingiari as he receives the hand-back of land on behalf of the Gurindji people.
“The merging of hand and landscape symbolises the enduring connection between Traditional Owners and Country. Across the sky, the words of Vincent Lingiari shine as an everlasting reminder of the power of his leadership and vision.
“The word UNITY is embedded within the overlapping shadows of the Gurindji community, reflecting the collective strength that comes from standing together in pursuit of justice.”
Gurindji Aboriginal Corporation Director and Traditional Owner Roslyn Frith said the coin reflected the historic events she had been part of as a child.
“Unity is Gurindji’s strength. This coin design represents the proud Gurindji people’s story, history and legacy,” Ms Frith said.
“We are commemorating the past while celebrating the present as one. The Gurindji people have come a long way and, as Vincent Lingiari said, ‘let us be mates’.”
Australians are encouraged to check their change for the new commemorative coin, which will enter circulation nationally from 5 August.
