Pilbara Station Workers StrikePrint Page

The park commemorates the pastoral strike of 1946 by Aboriginal station workers who were protesting about unfair pay rates.  The park was renamed Strike Park on the 1st May 2021 and features a new information sign. The original sculpture was erected in the park in September 2002 and further sculptures representing the strikers have been added.

Don McLeod at Marble Bar was an elected spokesman for the Aborigines and, with Dooley Bin Bin and Clancy McKenna, urged Aborigines who worked on large sheep and cattle stations to strike for better conditions. Although the employers sought assistance from the police and the Native Welfare Department to prevent the strike, 800 pastoral workers walked off the stations south of Nullagine and made their way to Port Hedland.

The Hedland community came together on Saturday, 1 May 2021 to celebrate the opening of Strike Park, coinciding with the 75th Anniversary of the 1946 Pilbara Aboriginal Strike. This Strike involved over 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers walking off large pastoral stations in the Pilbara for better working conditions.

The Park is named to remember and commemorate those involved in the Strike, which is regarded as one of the most significant industrial strikes in Australian history. Lasting until 1949, the Strike paved the way for Aboriginal and workers’ rights across the country. The Strike was led by Dooley Bin Bin and Clancy McKenna, two Aboriginal lawmen, and Don McLeod, a white union activist.

The renaming of the Park from Leap to Strike was proposed by Hedland Aboriginal Strong Leaders (HASL) in early 2020. Council officially endorsed the renaming of the Park in April 2020, which was followed by the CEO referring the proposed name change to the Geographic Names Committee for approval.

Mayor Peter Carter reflected on the Strike’s historical significance, and thanked those involved with making the name change possible. “We commemorate the bravery of those involved in the 1946 Pilbara Aboriginal Strike, a pivotal event in Australian history which paved the way for Aboriginal and workers’ rights across the country. I thank Hedland Aboriginal Strong Leaders for first proposing the renaming of the Park, which is now a place for all to come and reflect on the Strike’s significance. The Park features plenty of shade, sculptures representing the Strikers and a new information sign providing locals and tourists with information about the Strike, so I encourage everyone to go down and take a look. Thank you to all the residents and community groups who came along to the opening on Saturday. It was great to see everyone come together, hear from those connected to the Strikers and look forward to the future.”
Town of Port Hedland, 5 May 2021.

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