On This Day, 4 February 1939: The Cummeragunja Walk-Off.

On 4 February 1939, a quiet but revolutionary act unfolded on the banks of the Murray River. About 200 Aboriginal men, women and children walked off Cummeragunja Aboriginal Station, near Moama in southern New South Wales, in what became one of the first mass Indigenous strikes in Australian history.

This was no spontaneous protest. It was a carefully considered act of resistance against years of neglect, abuse and control imposed by the NSW Aborigines Protection Board, the government authority that tightly regulated every aspect of life on the station. Residents lived under harsh conditions: inadequate housing, poor sanitation, insufficient food, limited medical care, and constant interference in family life. Movement was restricted, wages were controlled, and children could be removed without warning.

Cummeragunja had once been a relatively stable community, with fertile land and strong cultural ties. By the late 1930s, however, mismanagement and punitive oversight had eroded living conditions. The appointment of an unpopular station manager intensified tensions, pushing residents to a breaking point.

The walk-off was led by respected community figures and activists, including Jack Patten, a prominent Aboriginal rights campaigner, with the broader influence of leaders such as William Cooper, who had long been petitioning the government for justice and reform. Their message was clear: Aboriginal people would no longer accept inhumane treatment or the denial of basic rights.

Crossing the Murray River into Victoria, many of the strikers set up camp on the other side of the border, beyond the immediate reach of NSW authorities. The walk-off drew national attention and embarrassed governments who preferred Aboriginal policy to remain invisible. Newspapers reported the event, politicians were forced to respond, and the myth that Aboriginal people were passive recipients of government control was shattered.

Although conditions did not immediately improve and many participants endured hardship as a result of their protest, the Cummeragunja Walk-Off marked a turning point. It demonstrated organised, collective resistance and helped lay the groundwork for later movements for land rights, citizenship and self-determination.

Today, the events of 4 February 1939 stand as a powerful reminder that Aboriginal political activism did not begin in the 1960s. Long before that, communities like Cummeragunja were already asserting dignity, agency and the right to live with autonomy.

It was a walk-off born of desperation — but also of courage. And its legacy continues to echo through Australia’s ongoing struggle for justice and recognition.