By the end of 1948, most Twelve Mile strikers had shifted to Moolyella or returned to station employment, and the camp was primarily used as the site for the strikers’ school.

Twelve Mile Strikers Return to Station Employment
Middleton to Plunkett, 20 January 1949
Citation

S.G. (Stan) Middleton to Sergeant W. Plunkett, 20 January 1949, SROWA 1948/0732/72.

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Aboriginal People Gain Political Power

Submitted by scollini on Thu, 09/13/2018 - 14:06

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Strikers were increasingly able to negotiate individual agreements with pastoralists to return to station work on increased wages and with improved living conditions, while the Department of Native Affairs found itself unable to reimpose control over marrngu because of fear that those now in employment would re-join the strike. This letter, written by Tommy Sampie in response to a government decision to declare the Twelve Mile a prohibited area for Aboriginal people to camp, caused the prohibition to be quickly reversed and illustrates the considerable political power that marrngu were gaining through their actions.