In Torres Strait Islands called the Mabo case, for Eddie Mabo, the first-named plaintiff) brought by several individuals that was won in the High Court of Australia in 1992; subsequent cases were also settled in favour of other groups of islanders. Mabo's credibility as the primary witness for the case was savaged . In 1959, he moved to mainland Queensland, working on pearling vessels and as a labourer. Bibliography - History bibliographies - Cite This For Me and in 2008 James Cook University named its Townsville campus library the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library. (2013 lecture transcript), 2012 Presentation by Professor Henry Reynolds. Choose from the list of topics on the left and then choose 'Click to Play'. Promoting Indigenous peoples right to development. Eddie Mabo - Wikipedia Vincent Lingiari and men and women of the Gurindji people. 2. Financing economic development within the Indigenous estate. 1992 High Court Mabo Case Decision No. 2 | Australia's migration Typical of such awards, the citations are generally understated and this is particularly so in your case. Document: 00003849.pdf 1 Page(s) Speech at the Gurindji Land Ceremony. Powtoon - Eddie Mabo You Murray Islanders have won that court case. He petitioned, campaigned, cajoled and questioned Terra Nullius for 18 years. Ten years before, Eddie Koiki Mabo and his comrades started the legal battle for the recognition of the Meriam people and the ownership of Mer Island. And he was right. Others, while acknowledging the shortcomings of Mabo's long-term legacy, still regard it as a watershed moment in Australian political, cultural and economic life. (No. The legal decision was made by the High Court on 3 June 1992. While he believed the Murray Island belonged to the Torres Strait Islander people, Australian law stated that the Government owned the land. Overwhelmingly, what participants told us at the Roundtable was that whilst there had been an expansion of the Indigenous estate since the commencement of the Native Title Act that it largely has not delivered sustainable outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I like how the words create a rhythm. 10. The commitment to a land fund; and importantly, participation in decision-making underpinned by the concept of free, prior and informed consent and good faith. I'd also like to thank AIATSIS for the invitation to speak today and in doing that can I congratulate you Russell on receiving your recent Member of the Order of Australia award. 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The lack of planning and support for native titleholders to economically develop their land was identified as one of the major failings of the native title system. That was Eddie Mabos gift. Eddie Mabo at James Cook University, early 1980s Series 8. What Exactly Is 'Mabo Day' And Why Is June 3 Such An - ELLE In 2008, a library at James Cook University was named after him. the belief that Australia and its islands belonged to no-one when claimed by the British in 1770) in a landmark court . This was our land. But he was wrong. And he knew truth. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. There will be many words between now and then. Mabo's love for his homeland drove the proud Torres Strait Islander to undertake a 10- year legal battle that rewrote Australia's history. Mabo (film) - Wikipedia A decade later, I was a young reporter still in my early 20s, finding my way into the foreign world of journalism when I saw a listing for a case at the High Court. The Mabo decision was a legal case held in 1992. For many at JCU, the landmark legal decision has been rendered personal, as well as political and historic, because of Eddie's important association with JCU staff and students, and with our surrounding communities. In one, the presiding judge said the mere introduction of British law did not extinguish Aboriginal customary law. Two generations talk about the impact of the 1967 Referendum and the 1992 Mabo Decision . Eddie Koiki Mabo | AIATSIS the Aborigines did not give up their lands peacefully; they were killed or removed forcibly from the lands by United Kingdom forces or the European colonists in what amounted to attempted (and in Tasmania almost complete) genocide.". Some went further, fuelling the hysteria with unsubstantiated claims - Jeff Kennett, then the premier of Victoria, said suburban backyards could be at risk of takeover by Aboriginal people. Another key challenge that came out of the roundtable was the need to improve the capacity of our mobs to have the necessary advocacy; governance and risk management skills to successful engage in business and manage our estates in order to secure the best possible outcomes for our communities. Love, suffering, hope, justice and truth Eddie Mabo knew about love too. It would most likely still be in place had it not been for Eddie Koiki Mabo. "I think that like many others, I was trying to deal with something that was new, that was undefined," Kennett told The Age newspaper. That's why the legal decision is universally known as "Mabo". Eddie Koiki Mabo (c. 29 June 1936 - 21 January 1992 [1]) was an Australian man from the Torres Strait Islands known for his role in campaigning for Indigenous land rights and for his role in a landmark decision of the High Court of Australia which overturned the legal doctrine of terra nullius ("land belonging to nobody") which characterised They claimed that Murray Island (Mer) and surrounding islands and reefs had been continuously inhabited and exclusively possessed by the Meriam people . Concocted by the early settlers, it was used, systematically, cynically and effectively to deprive the indigenous people of their own land. But that hasn't stopped indigenous people, like Queensland elder Douglas Bon, taking great satisfaction in the ruling. . Credit: Alex Ellinghausen No wonder Mr Abbott was visibly moved as he thanked "Aunty Gail" for . JCU celebrates the history-making Mabo decision with the long establishedEddie Koiki Mabo Lecture Series, an annual public commemorative presentation by a prominent person who has made a significant contribution to contemporary Australian society. Justice John Willis said: "In Australia it is the colonists not the Aborigines are the foreigners.". Governance has always been at the core of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and our community life. [7] OHCHR Website, Essays in Commemoration of 25 years of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development. Justice Blackburn ruled Australia was indeed a "settled colony", that this was"desert and uncultivated". And in 1981, Eddie was invited by the same university to make a speech about Mer's land inheritance system. Rachel Perkins, director of the new film, says Mabo's is "an iconic story in the tradition of great Australian tales, how a man, his wife and his mates profoundly changed the nation". Eddie Mabo had challenged the very ideological establishment of Australia and the first Australians. It is this issue of development that I will explore later in greater detail. The ongoing legacy of the Mabo decision - The Sydney Morning Herald He is hardworking and determined, but at the cost of his family life. As Eddie Mabo sketched out his plans to shake the foundations of Australian law, he told his daughter his prophecy: "One day, all of Australia will know my name." From 1973-1983 he established and became director of the Black Community School in Townsville. Papers of Edward Koiki Mabo Eddie Mabo, the man who changed Australia - BBC News Yindyamarra is respect: It is quiet, it is humble. 2019. B12 of 1982 in the High Court of Australia). Twenty three years after the Mabo decision we are going through another adaption as we talk about how we can start to enjoy the benefits that come from land ownership in the same way that is open to all other Australians, without compromising our unique rights as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous Education and Research Centre But despite the success of the '67 campaign, in 1972 Eddie Mabo still had to get permission from the Queensland authorities to visit his dying father on Mer Island. 2008 Presentation by The Hon. In acknowledging the traditional rights of the Meriam people to their land, the court also held that native title existed for all Indigenous people.