Silver Coin Wave Hill Walk Off 60th & Aboriginal Land Rights 50th 50 Cents 2026
The 2026 Wave Hill Walk-Off 60th & Aboriginal Land Rights 50th Silver 50 Cent Coin is a commemorative issue produced by the Royal Australian Mint, honoring two exceptionally important events in the history of Indigenous Australians – the 60th anniversary of the Wave Hill Walk-Off and the 50th anniversary of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976. The coin pays tribute to the courage, determination, and struggle for the rights of Aboriginal people, while also commemorating the events that played a key role in the process of reconciliation and the recognition of land rights.
The Wave Hill Walk-Off protest began in 1966, when the Gurindji community, led by Vincent Lingiari, left the Wave Hill cattle station in protest against unjust working conditions and wages. Over time, the event evolved into a nationwide land rights movement. A symbolic moment in this history came in 1975, when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam handed land back to the Gurindji people by pouring a handful of soil into Vincent Lingiari’s hand. A year later, the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976 was passed, becoming the first law to recognize the land ownership rights of Indigenous Australians.
The coin has a face value of 50 cents. It was struck from 18.24 g of .999 fine silver, has a diameter of 31.51 mm, and was produced to the highest minting standard of Proof. The mintage is limited to 6,500 pieces. The coin is housed in a protective capsule and presented in an elegant case with a certificate of authenticity and outer packaging.
Obverse: features the official effigy of King Charles III, designed by Daniel Thorne, together with the coin’s face value.
Reverse: developed in collaboration with the Gurindji community, depicts a stylized scene referencing the Wave Hill Walk-Off protest, along with an artistic interpretation of the historic land handback, during which Gough Whitlam poured a handful of soil into the hand of Vincent Lingiari. The design is complemented by microtext featuring quotes from Lingiari, emphasizing the significance of the struggle for the rights of Indigenous Australians and the enduring legacy of this event.