Mabo made a speech to the audience where he explained the indigenous customary land inheritance system on Murray Island. He knew about suffering. During this time he enrolled as a student and studied teaching at the College of Advanced Education, which later amalgamated with JCU. But that hasn't stopped indigenous people, like Queensland elder Douglas Bon, taking great satisfaction in the ruling. He is best known for the two court cases that bear his name, Mabo v. Queensland (numbers 1 and 2). He married Bonita, his teenage sweetheart and with whom he had 10 children in a loving partnership that lasted 30 years. This was not empty land. Mabo expressed disbelief and shock. I want to begin by honouring and quoting the words of the now late chief justice of the High Court of Australia, Sir Gerard Brennan,the words he wrote in his lead judgement in the Mabo case: The common law itself took from Indigenous inhabitants any right to occupy their traditional land, exposed them to deprivation of the religious, cultural and economic sustenance which the land provides, vested the land effectively in the control of the imperial authorities without any right to compensation and made the Indigenous inhabitants intruders in their own homes and mendicants for a place to live. I have been honoured in the last six weeks by being asked to deliver both the Eddie Koiki Mabo Lecture here today and the Rob Riley Memorial Lecture on Friday the 8 th of May in Perth. Milosz wrote into the horror of the 20th century as he saw war all around him. 2017 presentation by Professor Megan Davis, Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous, University of New South Wales. He's recorded as saying: "No way, it's not theirs, it's ours." The Mabo decision was handed down on June 3, 1992 in the High Court's grand courtroom in Canberra. [1] And that shift is the move to the next emerging challenge; how do we maximise these rights to their full potential, now that we have our native title recognized? They ruled that the Mabo decision in no way challenges the legality of non-Aboriginal land tenure. Two generations talk about the impact of the 1967 Referendum and the 1992 Mabo Decision . As Noel Pearson has recently said in relation to this issue: Were moving from a land rights claim phase to a land rights use phase where people are grappling with how we make our land contribute to our development.[3]. It remains a collection of canvas and tin, but it has grown in those years since a handful of young Aboriginal activists planted a beach umbrella and wrote the word Embassy on a manila folder, to shake a fist at the power on the hill. active, free and meaningful participation in development; self-determination and full sovereignty over natural wealth and resources. Typical of such awards, the citations are generally understated and this is particularly so in your case. Transcript ID: 3849. 2004 Presentation by Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO. Then, in June 1992, the years of sacrifice and persuasion came to fruition. A clear theme from the Broome Roundtable revealed a common frustration among many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These organisations could assist in under-writing costs, insurance and risk as well as helping explore options for Indigenous specific loan products. When I looked over the lives of these two great Australians I was struck by the similarities of their struggles and the qualities they each share. "The High Court, which is not elected by anybody, not accountable to anybody, had presumed to move into the legislative area to make a whole new law," he said. They then said to tell you they are aware of your continued fight for your culture and your country and salute you for your ongoing struggle. Love, suffering, hope, justice and truth Eddie Mabo knew about love too. They can raise us to anger then soothe us. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter', Why half of India's urban women stay at home. Mabo Day is an official holiday in the Torres Shire, celebrated on 3 June. Bryan Keon-Cohen was one of Eddie Mabo's barristers, and he gave a speech at Mabo's funderal in Townsville in Feb 1992 - he said: 'I confine myself here . But alongside . This will always be our land. They claimed that Murray Island (Mer) and surrounding islands and reefs had been continuously inhabited and exclusively possessed by the Meriam people . SPEECH - THURSDAY, 3 JUNE . Mabo ended up on the mainland working a number of jobs, including labouring on the railways. These are the traditional lands and waters of the Meriam people, and the final resting place of Eddie Mabo in Las Village. 2019. Today I want to talk about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can be the leaders to grasp new opportunities that will leave a legacy for generations to come. [1] Cast [ edit] Jimi Bani as Eddie Mabo Gedor Zaro as Young Eddie Deborah Mailman as Bonita Mabo (ne Neehow) Mabo v Queensland (No 1) was heard in 1986and 1988. We need to work alongside government to equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills to turn the economic and commercial aspirations into reality. He spoke of impermanence: He knew things did not last and yet we do. In a snapshot. In his book Why Weren't We Told?, Reynolds describes the talks they had regarding Mabo's people's rights to their lands, on Murray Island, in the Torres Strait. It was awarded Best Documentary at the Australian Film Institute Awards and the Sydney Film Festival.It also received the Script Writing Award at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards. Make an Impact. It is sadness beyond the word sadness itself. Three bound volumes regarding the determination of a reference from the High Court of Australia of the factual issues raised in the action by Eddie Mabo and others - prepared by Justice Moynihan. Volume 3 (146pp). The Mabo decision What is the Mabo decision? But we know that these scales do not capture the social disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. At: http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/table-1-human-development-index-and-its-components#a (viewed 9 June 2015). That word is emblazoned still at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the lawns of the Old Parliament House in Canberra. These barriers all prevent us from using our land to enter into the economy from which we can see ourselves and our communities thrive. (2010 lecture transcript). I like how the words create a rhythm. Han is Korean and it is more than a word. 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. 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. So today it is indeed an honour for both my people and myself to be presenting this year's Edward Koiki Mabo Lecture. Eddie Mabo was a Torres Strait Islander activist. Fungibility and native title. As a nation, this is an improvement from fourth position just over ten years ago in 2003.[10]. Land claim, 1981-1992 In 1981, at a conference on indigenous land rights in Townsville, a decision was made to pursue a native land title claim for the people of the Murray Islands in the High Court of Australia. Eddie Mabo's dream had come true; a meeting of minds to address the issue of Aboriginal land . In 1979 Wiradjuri man and law student Paul Coewalked the path that Eddie Mabo would follow all the way to the High Court of Australia. There were three key components to this: As you will know, the first two of these three components have been implemented, with varying degrees of success and impact on our communities over the years. When voices within democracies silenced and marginalised are demanding to be heard, we are bringing oursand challenging our democracy to examine itself and for our constitution to be seeded in the first footprints, not just the first settlers. In 1981, Eddie Mabo made a speech at James Cook University in Queensland, where he explained his people's beliefs about the ownership and inheritance of land on Mer. We did not end. Yindyamarra is respect: It is quiet, it is humble. He knew about hope and he knew about justice. Short for Mabo and others v Queensland (No 2) (1992), the Mabo case, led by Eddie Koiki Mabo, an activist for the 1967 Referendum, fought the legal concept that Australia and the Torres Strait Islands were not owned by Indigenous peoples because they did not 'use' the land in ways Europeans believed constituted some kind of legal possession. We acknowledge Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People as the first inhabitants of the nation, and acknowledge Traditional Custodians of the Australian lands where our staff and students live, learn and work. Eddie Mabo had challenged the very ideological establishment of Australia and the first Australians. [10] UN Development Programme, Human Development Index, UN Human Development Report, p237. A discussion of Mabo Day (June 3), which commemorates Torres Strait Islander activist Eddie Koiki Mabo and the historic Mabo decision, in which the High Court of Australia acknowledged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' land rights. Uncle Edward 'Koiki' Mabo was born in 1936, in Las on the island of Mer (Murray Island) in the Torres Strait to 'Robert' Zesou Sambo and 'Annie' Poipe, ne Mabo. I honour your Elders that have come before you, those that are here today and I wait in optimistic anticipation for those Elders who are yet to emerge. According to accounts of the conversation, the two scholarly figures looked at each other and then, delicately, told Mabo that he didn't own the land and that it was Crown land. 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. More Information .We are closed in a box. About 800 kilometers north of Cairns sits the small remote community of Mer (Murray) Island in the crystal blue waters of the Torres Strait. This link is the basis of the ownership of the soil, or better, of sovereignty., "This is the torment of our powerlessness.". AAP. On 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia ruled in favour of limited native title. The court dismissed his challenge to Australian sovereignty, but in his opinion Justice Lionel Murphy rattled the bones of the Australian settlement. " But without warriors such as Eddie, David and James, Rob and countless others, we would not be in the position regarding Indigenous land tenure that we are in today. In 1992 the High Court handed down its historic ruling. Eddie Mabo's legal pursuit of these issues resulted in one of the most significant legal cases in Australian history, in that it completely overturned the idea of terra nullius (land belonging to no-one) and challenged traditionally held beliefs about how Australia came into being, and about ownership of land. (Transcript), 2014 Presentation byMs Shannan Dodson, Digital Campaign Manager, Recognise Australia. The great polish poetCzeslawMilosz said perhaps all memory is the memory of wounds. But that's just 11% of Australia's land mass. Yet, the first colonialists decided, for commercial reasons, to ignore all that and peddle the view that Aboriginal people were primitive, disorganised, culture-less creatures who deserved no rights over land. When our world is ablaze with conflict. Love, kindness, forgiveness; always love. Participants in Broome identified there was a real need to have a new conversation with Government around Indigenous land and property rights and how this might translate into sustainable economic development. And he knew truth. In 1982, along with four other Meriam people from Murray Island, he initiated legal proceedings in the Queensland Supreme Court claiming customary ownership of their lands on Murray Island. First, they ask me to pass on their greetings and their thanks for allowing me on your lands. Gail, to your Mum Bonita, to Eddie Junior, Wannee, Bethal, Celuia, Ezra, Mario, Malita, Malcolm, Jessie and to you Gail, can I pay special tribute to for the generosity of you all in giving your husband and Dad to us. Without this foundation, there would be no opportunity for us to access these rights through this unique form of land tenure. Eddie Koiki Mabo died of cancer on 21 January 1991, before the case was resolved. Some records include terms and views that are not appropriate today. Only land such as vacant crown land, national parks and some leased land, can be subject to claims by the Aboriginal owners. These legal challenges continued into the 20th century rulings maintained the legitimacy of the Crown but could not extinguish completely the Aboriginal claims. 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 This landmark decision led to the Australian Government introducing native title . As Kevin Mason divedin the ocean, a compliance officer waswatching on the cliffs above. For 50 years this embassy has stood as a reminder that we are still here. Aboriginal Australians are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark victory over land rights. He was another victim of Terra Nullius, like so many of his fellow indigenous people had been before him. "If ever a system could be called a government of laws," he said, "it is shown in the evidence before me.". Australia owes you a great debt. He was right. Rob was at the forefront of the fight for land in Western Australia, particularly at Nookanbah and when the WA Government led the resistance to national land rights legislation. And in some cases native title had become a millstone, almost drowning people in a sea of regulation, red tape and process without any semblance of necessary support. Choose from the list of topics on the left and then choose 'Click to Play'. I want to give two words from my people, Wiradjuri. [11]Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), preamble. The debate about Mabo's legacy still goes on today, Many indigenous Australians still live in poverty, Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Ukraine, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Zoom boss Greg Tomb fired without cause. However the Federal Court found that the South Australian government were liable for an undisclosed amount to the Nguraritja people for parcels of land over which, but for the prior extinguishing acts of government, they would have held native title. However, most importantly of all, we are now faced with the challenge of how to make the most of our rights to land and native title once we have them, for our prosperity and sustainability. Participants identified that we need to start considering the role of the financial services industry, as well as agencies such as Indigenous Business Australia and the Indigenous Land Corporation in the context of our economic development. I think much of the dialogue on this issue in Australia has revolved around how to protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from development as opposed to how to realize our rights to development and the associated benefits that come with it. He knew about suffering. I have heard it at dawn as the earth crackles, the river waters run, and the animals stir as the Sun peers above the hills and the light strikes the trees on my beloved Wiradjuri country. Mabo's love for his homeland drove the proud Torres Strait Islander to undertake a 10- year legal battle that rewrote Australia's history. Eddie Koiki Mabo presents a guest lecture about the Torres Strait Islander community 2,837 views Nov 18, 2020 51 Dislike Share Save JCU Library 451 subscribers This short video is an excerpt. The earliest papers on the Murray Island land claim are a manuscript and typescript of a speech by Mabo at the Land Rights and Future of Australian Race Relations Conference at James Cook University in 1981. This led to the subsequent High Court case, Mabo v Queensland (No 2), which was to determine the matter of the plaintiffs' land rights. He was a Meriam man and grew up on Mer, part of the Murray Island Group in the Torres Strait. Even though these rights have been watered down over the years, they have enabled us to reach a point where we now own nearly a third of the entire Australian continent and I am told approximately 54% of places like the Northern Territory. Eddie Koiki Mabo was an advocate of the 1967 Referendum, fighting for equal rights including education. Edward Koiki Mabo was born on 29 June 1936. By continuing to use this site, you are giving us consent to do this. Can I be indulgent and add a couple of others. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. In 2014, Australia ranked second after Norway, in the United Nations Human Development Index,[9] a position that would seem to indicate that we all enjoy a quality of life superior to most others in the world. We pay our respects to the people, their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging. It would most likely still be in place had it not been for Eddie Koiki Mabo. But who was Eddie Mabo, why did he take up what must have seemed like a hopeless cause and what is the legacy of his campaign? Other forms of recognition have been added. At http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/reports/264/hdr_2003_en_complete.pdf (viewed 9 June 2015). Leeanne Enoch MP, Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Science and Innovation.