Mabo Day

Mabo Day – We know why!

Our Year 9/10 Great Australian Legal Cases elective classes have just finished their unit on the Mabo Case, just in time for the Mabo Day and the last day of National Reconciliation Week.

Mabo Day is commemorated on the 3rd of June each year and recognises the successful claim made by Eddie Koiki Mabo and four other Meriam people (from the island of Mer in the Murray Islands in the Torres Strait Island) to challenge the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no one). 

The terra nullius principle had long been a significant barrier to legally recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners of Australia. On 3rd June 1992, thirty years ago, the High Court declared that the ‘terra nullius’ principle should not have been applied to Australia at the time of colonisation and that the Meriam people were the traditional owners of Mer. This ruling was extremely important to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of lands and paved the way for Native Title.

Our students examined the case right from the dispossession of land and the origins of the terra nullius principle. They researched how the principle had foiled previous cases, actions taken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to claim native title. 

Then they studied the issues directly related to the Mabo case itself and the impact the decision has had on legislation and future native title claims. 

In class today, we held a respectful celebration of the Mabo Case and honoured Eddie Koiki Mabo’s long fight for equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (some opted out of the pic).  You ca read student's thoughts about the significance of the Mabo case below.

Tanya Moran

Leader of Humanities

"The Mabo Case was significant as it acknowledged the rights of the Torre Strait Islanders and enabled them to reclaim rightful ownership of land. It recognized previous land rights for Torre Strait Islanders and praised Eddie Koiki Mabo, became a historical significance.” - Alijana H

“I believe the Mabo case is so significant because it’s what lead up equality for indigenous Australians’ rights” - Aaron B

“I find it significant because he won the land rights of his family’s land on Murray Island” 

- Teagan W

“I think that the Mabo case is so significant because it improved equalizing indigenous rights for generations to come” - Lockie L

“The Mabo case was such a significant legal case is because it went to the High Court and let to the creation of the Native Title Act” 

- Chloe S

“The Mabo case was such a significant case because Mabo won the land rights of Murray Island after 10 years fighting the case” 

- Cindy H

“The decision recognised the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and overturing the doctrine of terra nullius” 

- Adrian T

“The Mabo case was significant as it acknowledged that the terra nullius declaration was false.” - Matilda B

“The Mabo case was the first ever successful indigenous case that recognized the land rights of the Meriam people. The final decision proved the terra nullius doctrine void.” - Gemma B