Fred Nadpur Waters

Fred Nadpur Waters also known as Nadpur Waters or Fred Nadpur (c. 1900 - 7 October 1958) was a Larrakia man from Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. He led a series of strikes by Aboriginal people in Darwin between 1950 and 1951, known as the Corroboree Strikes, which led to him being sent away from his home leading to the High Court of Australia case Waters v Commonwealth in 1951.

Life in the Northern Territory Waters was born around 1900 in Darwin, in the Northern Territory, and he was a member of the Dannalba (Crocodile) clan. His mother was Kadjowi, also cited as Kowija, and details about his father where not recorded. Very little is known about Nadpur's early life. Around 1939 Nadpur entered a relationship with Maggie Shepherd, a Brikin woman, who had been raised at the Kahlin Compound. She was a widow and had four children with her first husband. This strike was backed by the North Australian Workers' Union, which was then under Communist Party of Australia leadership. It was later claimed that Waters had arranged the strikes from the beginning but that he was believed to be because of the NAWU's tendency to hide the principle Aboriginal leaders in the background. This action was fully supported by the Commonwealth government and Moy's right to do so was held up by the High Court in Waters v Commonwealth on 19 March 1951. The decision was, however, unpopular in the media and the Australian trade union movement, supported by Alan Marshall and Douglas Nicholls, led a national campaign to allow him to return home. It was believed that being forced to remain in Haasts Bluff would kill Waters and it was called a 'desert concentration camp'.

During this period corroboree dancers in Darwin, and around Australia, refused to perform stating "No Fred, no Lawrence, no corroboree". Other protests which linked Aboriginal rights with the arts were also taking place across Australia.

Waters died on 7 October 1958 in Darwin.