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Source 7.42, a primary source excerpt from one of Lingiari’s speeches and the accompanying
photograph of him (see Source 7.43) stand in stark contrast to previous representations of
Indigenous Australians that portray them as anonymous actors in major historical events. In
this case study, not only are Indigenous people named and their tribal grouping attributed,
they are also at the centre of the historical narrative, rather than only at the periphery. The
photograph of Lingiari serves as a visual reinforcement of representing Indigenous
Australians as active participants in their own history.
Source 7.43. Blacks and white photograph of Vincent Lingiari in Case studies in
Australian history (Stewart, 1986, p. 198).
7.9.4 Discourses of policy and legislation.
A significant component of the case study in Case studies in Australian history (Stewart,
1986) contains information about government policy, legislation and action surrounding how
the federal government responded to the Wave Hill Station Strike, in particular the wider
issue of land rights for Australia’s Indigenous peoples. By linking the topic of the strike to
other civil rights issues of the same time, such as the 1967 Referendum, the author
demonstrates to students their interconnectedness. In a rare example of openly criticizing
government policy and inaction, the textbook writes of the outcomes of the Referendum in
relation to land rights:
The Commonwealth Government sought the power to make laws on behalf of
Aborigines. Ninety-one per cent of formal votes—the greatest ‘Yes’ vote in
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