Whitlam first PM for indigenous Australia

INDIGENOUS leaders have paid tribute to Gough Whitlam, who has been described as Australia's first prime minister for indigenous Australians.

WHEN Gough Whitlam famously poured soil into the hands of Gurindji leader Vincent Lingiari it became a symbol of his dedication to indigenous land rights.

ALMOST 40 years on, soil from the same land will be offered back to the Whitlam family to signal the former prime minister's importance in Aboriginal history.