In 1960s Australia, disillusioned writer Frank Hardy rediscovers his purpose
when he forges an unexpected brotherhood with the charismatic Aboriginal
leader Vincent Lingiari, igniting a fierce battle against the powerful Vestey
corporation for equal pay and the ancestral land rights of the Gurindji people.
Against the tumultuous backdrop of the strikes on cattle stations in the Top End of Australia in the 1960s, Wave Hill is about two men from very different worlds thrown together, by chance or by destiny, depending how you look at it. Frank, then the most famous author in Australia, is suffering writer’s block brought on by the collapse of his belief in revolutionary communism and the suicide of his best friend, similarly afflicted. To salve his existential anguish he sets off to discover the ‘heart of Australia.’
Frank encounters stockman Vincent Lingiari, an Aboriginal Elder embarking on his own revolutionary path: a David versus Goliath showdown against the might of British beef barons Vesteys. Vincent needs Frank. Firstly, he needs Frank’s connections in the labour movement in the cities to bankroll his brave strike. But once this solidarity is established, Vincent needs Frank even more when he plays his true hand: his audacious gambit to get Vesteys off his Country and to have its Native Title recognised by the Australian Government, something without precedent at the time.
On the other hand, Frank needs Vincent as much as Vincent needs him. Frank has lost all faith in himself as a writer and as a political activist. But there, in a dried up river bed in the middle of the Outback, Frank discovers the Australian revolution he had given up on, Vincent’s revolution; and in himself he rediscovers the writer and activist he had given up on too. Vincent and the Gurindji redeem Frank, they adopt him and they rebirth him.
At its heart Wave Hill is a film about brotherhood. It’s a love story about two men who help each other get what the other desperately needs, and in doing so form a
profound connection that changes a nation. Wave Hill will be a film worthy of the remarkable achievements of Vincent and Frank — a film full of heart, full of humour, full of grit, and full of the sheer glory of their incredible friendship.
Hardy rose to prominence in 1950 with the publication of his novel ‘Power Without Glory’ and the subsequent furore around his gaoling, then acquittal for criminal libel.
Frank was also the most high profile member of the Communist Party of Australia. Self-described as “a revolutionary in a non-revolutionary country”. A man of morals and vices in equal measure, with a deep commitment to his socialist ideals and the plight of working people.
A deeply intellectual and a profoundly complex man, Frank is a champion not only for the good of the Gurindji mob, but for all oppressed people. Heartbroken and existentially lost, the Gurindji help Frank find the purpose that becomes his life blood, forging a spiritual brotherhood with Vincent that would change a nation.
Vincent is a brilliant stockman and so-called ‘head boy’ at Wave Hill cattle station, responsible for dispute resolution and general liaising between station management and his Gurindji tribe.
‘Born in the saddle’, Vincent came of age when the treatment of Aboriginal stockmen was at its very worst. While illiterate, like any great leader, Vincent knows his limitations. Thus he has the capacity to gather people whose skills make up for his deficiencies — enter Frank Hardy. Vincent has the capacity to listen and to act decisively in equal measure. Stoic by nature, a man of few words. Vincent is a seminal character in Australian public life.
Bill Jeffrey is the last man the government should have hired to keep the Wave Hill Aborigines quiet. He’s the official Wave Hill Welfare Officer, but his pugnacious, anti-authoritarian soul makes him a natural saboteur – the fox in the henhouse, hiding in plain sight. He sees the unholy alliance between station managers, the police, and his own Welfare Branch for what it is – modern-day chains. Calm under pressure, slyly brilliant, and hopelessly principled, Bill is the insider who lays bare the corruption—and shows that the real danger to the system can be the one meant to defend it.
Vocal and fiercely idealistic, Dexter has a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind. Proud son of the Roper River region in Arnhem land and Australia’s first Aboriginal union representative, Dexter’s deep connection to Country fuels his passionate fight for justice – these two worlds at times threatening to tear him apart.
Dexter has the ability to connect as much to the working man as he does to political power brokers. His quick tongue however, is just as likely to get him into trouble, as out of it. Navigating a personal journey through the halls of power, Dexter keeps one suspicious eye on Frank Hardy – and the other firmly on the prize: justice for his people.
A no-nonsense union man – the kind who calls a spade a bloody shovel, Manning is all grit and no gloss, with a voice that can cut through a factory floor. Brian has as much tolerance for injustice as he does for bullshit.
Brian fights with the tenacity of a junk yard dog when the rights of the working man are at stake. Built like a brick shit-house, Manning’s commanding physique is a reflection of his inner strength and conviction – with this beast ploughing ahead is Frank and Vincent’s
success paved.
The tone and style of ‘Wave Hill’ will blend the epic scale of the Australian landscape with the intimate story of an unlikely brotherhood, set against a modern narrative unfolding. The vast, breathtaking vistas of Gurindji Country will serve as a constant backdrop, echoing the visual poetry of films like ‘High Ground’ and ‘Sweet Country’, while the rugged beauty of ‘The Man From Snowy River’ will inspire the portrayal of the Northern Territory. Contrasting this will be the visceral energy of the city protests, recalling the historical urgency seen in ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’.
Crucially, the film will chart Frank Hardy’s profound personal transformation. Initially presented as a disillusioned writer grappling with an existential crisis, his journey will be one of reinvigoration. His unexpected partnership with Vincent Lingiari and immersion in the Gurindji people’s struggle will act as a catalyst, reigniting his lost idealism and providing him with a powerful purpose that extends beyond his personal woes and carries the potential to create significant social change.
This journey from despair to conviction, paralleled by the unfolding fight for land rights, will be the emotional engine of the film, underscored by the deepening brotherhood between Frank and Vincent. The visual style will aim for a striking and emotionally resonant experience, capturing both the grandeur of the land and the raw human spirit finding its voice.
Wave Hill is in fact a love story, where two men from completely different worlds are brought together by chance (or perhaps by destiny). At once there’s the tortured, brilliant, broken-hearted writer Frank Hardy, a man who has given up on his dreams and given up on himself. Then there’s the charismatic, powerful, almost mystical Vincent Lingiari, a man whose people are oppressed and abused, but a man with a big dream, a dream he needs help realising. The brotherhood that results from the union of Frank and Vincent is profound.
Australia is at crossroads regarding understanding of its history, and ‘truth-telling’ about the brutality of its colonial past. Wave Hill has gathered a powerful coterie of stakeholders, friends and advisors pulling in the same direction to bring this incredible story to the screen. Underpinning it all is my obsession to get the job done. I named the SPV that’s producing the film The Hard Way, after Frank Hardy’s book about doing everything it takes to get the job done. In this sense, art is imitating real life.
Writer-Director Paul Williams approached the writing of ‘Wave Hill’ with a profound commitment to authenticity and respect. This film has been shaped through extensive and meaningful collaboration, not just with the Literary Estate of the celebrated author Frank Hardy, but most importantly, with the Gurindji community itself.
Paul has engaged in deep consultation at Daguragu and Kalkarindji in the Northern Territory, working closely with Traditional Owners, Cultural Consultants, and the descendants of the very individuals depicted in the film. This inclusive process ensures that ‘Wave Hill’ honors the true story of the Walk-off, offering a genuine and culturally sensitive portrayal of this pivotal moment in Australian history.
Wave Hill delves into powerful themes of Indigenous land rights and the fight for equality against seemingly insurmountable odds. At its heart – and arguably the true engine of the story – it explores the transformative power of an unlikely brotherhood forged in the pursuit of justice, charting one man’s journey from disillusionment to passionate purpose in a classic David vs. Goliath struggle.
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Executive Producer Sue Maslin | sue@filmartmedia.com
Writer/Director/Producer Paul Damien Williams | paul@wavehillfilm.com.au
Producer Justin McArdle | justin@wavehillfilm.com.au