How Important Was The Mabo Decision Making In The Case Of Eddie Mabo
Eddie Mabo and the Mabo Decision
As campaigns for improved human rights were gathering momentum across all of Australia (and indeed the globe) in the 1980s, five Torres Strait Islanders (Eddie Koiki Mabo, Sam Passi, Reverend Dave Passi, James Rice and Celuia Mapo Salee) began a long campaign for ‘Native Title’, forever changing the country’s views on Indigenous Australians and the impact of settlement. The notion of land rights was often misunderstood by Australian people who believed they would have their suburban lands taken off them. This meant non-Indigenous support for native title was rare. However, Mabo real aim was to receive legal recognition of their traditional lands in the Torres Strait – area that because of terra nullius was
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However, his name was passed down through generations as he left a profound legacy – changing the way Australian land was viewed and the population’s ideas of settlement. His legacy had practical effect also, with the Mabo decision setting the way for other Indigenous groups to reclaim family land and be recognised by law as Australia’s first peoples. Eddie Mabo’s daughter, Gail Mabo, wishes him to be remembered for his spirit and love, rather than just the facts and statistics. The fight took its toll on Mabo, with financial difficulties and ill health, yet he kept fighting, and this should be Australia’s true spirit, and Mabo its true icon. Mabo said of the fight "I thought about the struggles I'd been through all the past years since 1963 to the beginning of 1992 ... I also thought about how my wife the most important person in my life, how she stuck to me over many hardships and hurdles in life, but somehow we made it, perhaps better than others.” Despite the fight, Mabo said he loved it. In 1998, the Howard government changed the Native Title Act, making it significantly harder for Indigenous peoples to claim land. Today, the fight for recognition in Mabo’s name continues, with campaigns to change the date of ‘Australia Day’, as it is known by many Indigenous people as ‘Invasion Day’. This fight would not have been possible without Mabo’s fight …show more content…
(2017). Getting to know Eddie Mabo, the man behind the legend. [online] Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-03/eddie-mabo-the-man-behind-the-legend/8501266 [Accessed 4 Sep. 2017].
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. (2017). Eddie Koiki Mabo. [online] Available at: https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/articles/eddie-koiki-mabo [Accessed 4 Sep. 2017].
Barker, G. (1993). The Legacy of Eddie Mabo. The Australian, p.11.
Mabo and Others v. The State of Queensland [1992]175 CLR 1 F.C. 92/014 No. 2 (Judge Brennan).
Nativetitle25.gov.au. (2017). THE MABO STORY – 25 Years of Native Title Recognition. [online] Available at: http://www.nativetitle25.gov.au/mabo-story/ [Accessed 4 Sep. 2017].
Reynolds, H. and Hosking, P. (2001). Why weren't we told?. Tullamarine, Vic.: Bolinda Audio Books.
Webb, K. and Woollacott, A. (2013). History NSW syllabus for the Australian curriculum 10. Cambridge University Press,
Eddie Koiki Mabo In The 1971 Gove Land Rights Case
149 Words | 1 PagesIn the 1971 Gove land rights case, Justice Blackburn ruled that Australia was terra nullius prior European settlement. This judgement was challenged for a total of 3 years but all attempts failed. However, on the 20th May 1982, Eddie Koiki Mabo and 4 other Indigenous people began their legal claim for ownership of their traditional lands on the island of Mer in the Torres Strait. The case was later taken to supreme court and after ten years, the case was closed and the government granted the indigenous people of australia their rightful land. Before this, Eddie had been helping his community from a young age.
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426 Words | 2 PagesEddie Mabo, full name Edward Koiki Sambo, devoted a great deal of time in his life to fight for the land rights of his people. He is now a central figure and household name for advocating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land rights and traditional ownership, but the story of his success, and how it changed Australia, has many heroes. Along with Mabo, plaintiffs Flo Kennedy and David Passi were geared up to launch a test case in the courts to dispute the doctrine of terra nullius; the existing law that stated Australia was officially considered empty land before British settlement. However the process of carrying out a test case proved to be difficult and compelled some of the plaintiff’s to withdraw. Later in the year of 1989, Mabo and James Rice was the only plaintiff’s left
The Mabo Case Study
695 Words | 3 PagesEddie Mabo was a Torres Strait Islander who believed Australian laws and land ownership were wrong and fought to change them. On 20 May 1982, Eddie Mabo, Sam Passi, David Passi, Celuia Mapo Salee and James Rice began their legal claim for ownership of their lands against the Queensland Government. In 1985, while the Mabo case was proceeding, the Queensland Government tried to avoid the issue of whether rights of Indigenous peoples survived colonisation. Due to this the leader of the Queensland Government Joh Bjelke-Petersen decided to introduce the Queensland Coast Islands Declaratory Act 1985. This Act had claimed to extinguish any rights and interests that the Meriam people may have had before its enactment.
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Why Was The Mabo Decision Important
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Impact Of The Mabo Decision
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902 Words | 4 PagesThe Mabo decision changed the legal, political and social relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. In recognising the traditional rights of Murray Islanders it changed Australia forever. The Mabo decision opened the doors for other indigenous people and groups to be able to claim ownership of land. They were required to prove that they had continuous connection to the land and maintained their traditional associating with it. The 'native title ' is the recognition by law that some aboriginal and torres strait islander people have rights to certain land due to their traditional laws and customs.
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