A Handful of Sand

The Gurindji Struggle, After the Walk-off

By Charlie Ward

'An epic historical work, meticulously researched and beautifully written' – Mickey Dewar

'...the narrative restores one's faith, if any were needed, in the power of well-informed, committed, passionate, even-handed historical story-telling... [a] milestone in the historiography of the decade.' – Peter Read

'Eloquent, perceptive and finely honed … a major work in Australian history.’ – Mark McKenna

'The definitive work on the Walk-off and the Gurindji struggle.' – Ted Egan, AO

'A narrative rich in ironies, well structured, much like a campfire tale... unfurling, exploring side channels, circling round.' – Nicolas Rothwell, The Australian

Fifty years ago, a group of striking Aboriginal stockmen in the remote Northern Territory of Australia heralded a revolution in the cattle industry and a massive shift in Aboriginal affairs. Now, after many years of research, A Handful of Sand tells the story behind the Gurindji people’s famous Wave Hill Walk-off in 1966 and questions the meanings commonly attributed to the return of their land by Gough Whitlam in 1975. Written with a sensitive, candid and perceptive hand, A Handful of Sandreveals the path Vincent Lingiari and other Gurindji elders took to achieve their land rights victory, and how their struggles in fact began, rather than ended, with Whitlam’s handback.

Not since Frank Hardy’s The Unlucky Australians (1968) have the experiences of the Gurindji Walk-off leaders and their children been related with such insight and empathy. A Handful of Sand makes an essential contribution to understanding the complex nature of the challenges confronting both ‘white’ Australian policy makers and remote Aboriginal community leaders.

About this book