A moment in our history: the Unity Wave Hill Walk Off 2026 50c Silver Proof Coin
Some coins mark an event. This one marks a turning point.
The Royal Australian Mint has released the Unity: Wave Hill Walk Off 2026 50c Silver Proof Coin to recognise two anniversaries in 2026. It is sixty years since the Wave Hill Walk-Off, and fifty years since the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976.
The story behind it is worth telling slowly.
In 1966, Gurindji stockmen and their families walked off Wave Hill cattle station in the Northern Territory. Vincent Lingiari led them. It began as a protest over wages and working conditions, and it became something larger. The Gurindji were asserting their connection to Country, and they held that position for years.
In 1975, Gough Whitlam poured a handful of soil into Lingiari's hand at Wattie Creek. That moment became one of the most recognised images in Australian public life. It helped open the way for the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976, the first law to recognise Aboriginal land ownership.
The reverse design was created in collaboration with the Gurindji people. It carries a stylised representation of the walk-off, an artistic reading of the hand back between Whitlam and Lingiari, and micro text drawn from Lingiari's own words. The word UNITY sits within the overlapping shadows of the Gurindji community. E. Waterford designed the reverse. The obverse is by Daniel Thorne.
The specifications, for those who want them.
The coin is struck in 99.9% silver to proof quality, with a gross weight of 18.24g and a diameter of 31.51mm. Denomination is fifty cents. Maximum mintage is 6,500. It comes in a case with a certificate of authenticity and an outer carton. Item code 12055.
A mintage of 6,500 is small by Australian standards. Coins with a strong narrative and a low mintage tend to be the ones collectors look for later, and this one has both.
There is a purchase limit of two per customer, address, family, credit card and IP address. We check orders manually. The limit exists so genuine collectors get a fair chance at it.
If you collect Australian commemoratives, or you have an interest in this part of our history, it belongs in the album.
View the Unity: Wave Hill Walk Off 2026 50c Silver Proof Coin
