What is Mabo Day?
Mabo Day is held on 3 June each year to commemorate Eddie Koiki Mabo and the 1992 High Court decision that recognized native title in Australia, overturning the idea that the land was terra nullius.
Eddie Koiki Mabo was a Torres Strait Islander from Mer, also called Murray Island. Along with other Meriam people, he challenged the Queensland Government's claim to ownership of their land.
The case lasted for ten years. On 3 June 1992, the High Court ruled that the Meriam people held native title to their land. Sadly, Mabo had died of cancer in January 1992, a few months before the decision.
The end of terra nullius
The decision rejected the legal idea of terra nullius, meaning land belonging to no one, which had been used to justify British settlement without treaties. It recognized that Indigenous people had rights to land that existed before colonization.
The decision led to the Native Title Act 1993, which created a legal framework for native title claims across Australia.
Mabo Day is a public holiday in the Torres Strait region. It also marks the end of National Reconciliation Week, which runs from 27 May to 3 June. Celebrations include community events, lectures and cultural performances.
Did You Know?
The 2012 film Mabo dramatized the story of Eddie Mabo and his wife, Bonita.