NT Cattle company to enter plea over Wave Hill Walk off destruction

A cattle company that allegedly razed the birthplace of Australia’s land rights movement has indicated it will plead guilty following an eight month legal battle.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned the following article contains the names and images of the deceased.

A Northern Territory cattle company has indicated it will plead guilty after it allegedly razed the site of the historic Wave Hill Walk Off, the birthplace of Australia’s land rights movement and heart of the annual Freedom Day festival.

Cattle baron Callum Hugh MacLachlan and three companies, CHM Pastoral, Commonwealth Hill, Wave Hill Holdings face 70 charges over damaging the heritage place, which is protected under both Territory and commonwealth laws.

Wave Hill cattle station

The 20km heritage site marks the track walked by Vincent Lingiari along with 200 stockmen and their families as they marched off the Kalkarindji cattle station in 1966, a move that sparked the modern land rights battle.

What was initially seen as a strike over the Indigenous workers’ exploitation — including the withholding of wages and poor living conditions — was actually a call for the return of the Gurindji people’s lands.

Vincent Lingiari, led the walk off from Wave Hill in 1966 lisa3

Mr Lingiari led his people on one of Australia’s longest strikes, attracting wide public support and recognition of Aboriginal people’s law, language and culture.

In 1975, then-prime minister Gough Whitlam ceremonially poured the red soil of Daguragu into Mr Lingiari’s hand.

“I put into your hands part of the Earth itself as a sign that this land will be the possession of you and your children forever,” Mr Whitlam declared.

Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pours soil into the hands of traditional land owner Vincent Lingiari, Northern Territory 1975. Photo: Mervyn Bishop

Nearly 50 years later, the Northern Territory Heritage Office has alleged the cattle station owners demolished the historic windmill and fence that marked the walk-off route, as well as the installation of a large solar panel system on the heritage protected site.

Eight months after the charges were laid, defence barrister Giles O’Brien-Hartcher confirmed the defendants had agreed to a single plea.

Mr O’Brien-Hartcher said 69 charges would be withdrawn, and only one corporate entity would still face the single remaining charge.

He did not clarify which of the three companies would enter the final plea.

Mr O’Brien-Hartcher said there was still ongoing discussion on the final agreed facts, but the plea was scheduled for March 7, 2025.