AAP. Two generations talk about the impact of the 1967 Referendum and the 1992 Mabo Decision . Transcript 3849 | PM Transcripts How might this case shatter the myth of terra nullius? Reynolds writes: Transcript of proceedings.in the High Court of Australia between Eddie Mabo, David Passi, James Rice.and the State of Queensland Proceedings for 28-31 May 1991, 3 June 1992, and 8 December 1992. Some key principles underpinning this right are: This Declaration centralizes the role of both the individual and government in the development process, arguing for the State to create national policies to properly ensure the development of all individuals. A documentary, Mabo: Life of an Island Man, directed by Trevor Graham, was released in 1997 and received the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Documentary. I believe that it is this framework that has the power to elevate the aspirations that we have as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in relation to land. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. His mother died during childbirth and he was raised by his mother's brother, Benny Mabo . Uncle Koiki Mabo launches legal case for his land - Deadly Story Thank you Russell for your kind words of introduction. He was a Meriam man and grew up on Mer, part of the Murray Island Group in the Torres Strait. Powtoon - Eddie Mabo He's recorded as saying: "No way, it's not theirs, it's ours." According to his daughter Gail Mabo, it 'fuelled his determination for recognition and equality in society'. "It gave us back our pride. In acknowledging the traditional rights of the Meriam people to their land, the court also held that native title existed for all Indigenous people. : he world to possession and I emfphasise Opossessions The great polish poetCzeslawMilosz said perhaps all memory is the memory of wounds. It is a feeling. I am sure that these issues will resonate with many of you here today. You can find it still, somewhere buried in the archives of ABC News. 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. Australia owes you a great debt. 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. He petitioned, campaigned, cajoled and questioned Terra Nullius for 18 years. He was another victim of Terra Nullius, like so many of his fellow indigenous people had been before him. During this time he became involved in community and political organisations, such as the union movement and the 1967 Referendum campaign. I must say though, that beyond economic development, effective governance is critical to ensuring that our organisations are transparent and accountable to our communities and this is one challenge to which we must rise. This issue of transfer, usability and conversion of title threw up many challenges around how to retain underlying customary title but make it usable in the modern sense. Eddie Mabo was a man of courage and principle who fought for the inherent rights of the Meriam people, and ultimately for the rights of all Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal peoples. 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. Eddie Mabo - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Others, mainly white opponents, regarded the judgement as a mistake. These are the traditional lands and waters of the Meriam people, and the final resting place of Eddie Mabo in Las Village. Eddie Koiki Mabo was an advocate of the 1967 Referendum, fighting for equal rights including education. "Koiki was ambitious for himself and for his people." [11]Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), preamble. JCU websites use cookies to enhance user experience, analyse site usage, and assist with outreach and enrolment. Stan Grant is the ABC's international affairs analyst and presents China Tonight on Monday at 9:35pm on ABC TV, and Tuesday at 8pm on the ABC News Channel, anda co-presenter of Q+A on Thursday at 8:30pm. (2010 lecture transcript). However, contemporary Indigenous governance needs recognises that we must now adjust our customary ways of governing to meet the expectations and regulations of non-indigenous laws and institutions. Prime Minister Paul Keating's address to - naa.gov.au The justices spoke of a legacy of "unutterable shame"and that the dispossession of Indigenous people was the darkest aspect of Australia's history. So today it is indeed an honour for both my people and myself to be presenting this year's Edward Koiki Mabo Lecture. In 1973 Mabo founded the Black Community School in Townsville, which was created to educate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and preserve traditional knowledge and practices. 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.". The courts had previously found that the Nguraritja had non-exclusive native title over certain parcels of land, but not over those where native title had already been extinguished. Family gatherings were foregone. Eddie Mabo and Gerard Brennan overturned the terra nullius policy and The Mabo Case Eddie Mabo is widely known for his plight to regain land rights for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It clearly did not, for instance, lead to vast numbers of white Australians being forced from their homes, businesses, mines or farms. Eddie Mabo was a staff member at JCU, working as a groundsman from 1967 to 1971. Eddie Mabo - Wikipedia 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. It is clear that we have seen a change in momentum as far as this space is concerned. First, they ask me to pass on their greetings and their thanks for allowing me on your lands. At: http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/table-1-human-development-index-and-its-components#a (viewed 9 June 2015). Mabo footage released for the first time - Jun 2020 - JCU Australia [7] OHCHR Website, Essays in Commemoration of 25 years of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development. 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. (No. Eddie Koiki Mabo Lecture Series. Edward 'Koiki' Mabo (1936-1992), Torres Strait Islander community leader and land rights campaigner, was born on 29 June 1936 at Las, on Mer, in the Murray group of islands, Queensland, the fourth surviving child of Murray Islands-born parents 'Robert' Zesou Sambo, seaman, and his wife 'Annie' Poipe, ne Mabo. These adjustments are key if we are to translate our inherent legal rights under native title into sustainable opportunities for our people. (2013 lecture transcript), 2012 Presentation by Professor Henry Reynolds. 2006 Presentation by Professor Larissa Behrendt. This will always be our land. On this great day, I, Prime Minister of Australia, speak to you on behalf of the Australian people all those who honour and love this land we live in. 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. Born on 29 June 1936 in his village of Las on the island of Mer in the Torres Strait, Eddie Koiki Mabo was the fourth child of Robert Zesou Sambo and Poipe (Sambo) Mabo. A case was made, and took 10 years to reach a decision. Henry Reynolds (historian) - Wikipedia Mabo : ABC iview 3. Business development support and succession planning. Eddie Mabo of Mer island in the Torres Strait spent a decade seeking official recognition of his people's ownership of Mer and on 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia agreed, rejecting the doctrine that Australia was terra nullius (land belonging to no-one) at the time of European settlement. 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. The court dismissed his challenge to Australian sovereignty, but in his opinion Justice Lionel Murphy rattled the bones of the Australian settlement. " It contains just 10 articles on what the instrument describes as an, inalienable right, by which every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate in, contribute to and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realised.[6]. [1] It was brought by Eddie Mabo against the State of Queensland and decided on 3 June 1992. Until that day, the legal fiction of terra nullius, the land belonging to no-one, had characterised Australian law and land titles since the voyage of Captain Cook. The most important revelation arising from Eddie Mabo's claim and the High Court's decision was that an ancient title connected to the traditional occupation of the land by Aboriginal and Islander people had survived the . 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 . 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 8th of May in Perth. [1] Cast [ edit] Jimi Bani as Eddie Mabo Gedor Zaro as Young Eddie Deborah Mailman as Bonita Mabo (ne Neehow) 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. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Australian PM makes historic visit to Mabo's grave - BBC News Yindyamarra is respect: It is quiet, it is humble. Typical of such awards, the citations are generally understated and this is particularly so in your case. That word is emblazoned still at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the lawns of the Old Parliament House in Canberra. [10] UN Development Programme, Human Development Index, UN Human Development Report, p237. We cross rivers and we are changed like the water itself. 2004 Presentation by Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO. I also acknowledge the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion who is here today and my colleague Tim Wilson, our Australian Human Rights Commissioner. It was through his association with JCU humanities and education staff, Professor Henry Reynolds and Associate Professor Noel Loos, that Eddie became interested in who owned the land on which his people lived, and in Native Title. However, it also raised equally relevant issues around the many state and local government land taxes and rates that apply once conversion has taken place. And these were the costs borne by the whole family. He was another victim of Terra Nullius, like so many of his fellow indigenous people had been before him. The Roundtable was held after there was significant interest on this issue when Commissioner Wilson and I undertook some consultations around the country last year. Mabo/The Man/Justice Moynihan's Findings Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Justice John Willis said: "In Australia it is the colonists not the Aborigines are the foreigners.". 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. It was suggested that we, as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, needed to think outside of the box when it comes to this issue. Eddie Koiki Mabo: Land Rights in the Torres Strait I would like to first of all express my sincere thanks to the organizers of this conference: in particular the James Cook University Student Union and the Aboriginal Treaty Committee in Townsville for allowing me to speak at this very important conference. And he was right. A lawyer heard the speech and asked Eddie if he would like to challenge the Australian Government in the court system, to decide who the true owner of the land on Mer was, his . The "fallacy" that Perkins speaks of is the concept of Terra Nullius, land belonging to no-one. 2017 presentation by Professor Megan Davis, Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous, University of New South Wales. Eddie Mabo would not live to see his final victory, but in that judgement he became immortal. He knew about hope and he knew about justice. 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. - Behind the News Behind the News 133K subscribers Subscribe 483 106K views 3 years ago Mabo Day on June 3rd, celebrates. In 1992 the High Court handed down its historic ruling. Eddie Mabo wanted to change the law of Terra Nullius and claim the Aboriginal people as the original owners of the land this would change social and political views of the aboriginal people. Transcript 9037 | PM Transcripts Mabo : Working with Indigenous Australians Australian law for two centuries hid the truth behind words. It would most likely still be in place had it not been for Eddie Koiki Mabo. Importantly, development is also a process through which other human rights can be realized and our wellbeing alongside all other populations is maximised. In 1981, Eddie Mabo delivered a speech at James Cook University in Queensland, where he challenged the widely accepted belief of ownership and inheritance of land on Murray Island. Our News Six weeks later his father died. I like how the words create a rhythm. The Mabo decision was a legal case held in 1992. "For two centuries, the British and then white Australians operated under a fallacy, that somehow Aboriginal people did not exist or have land rights before the first settlers arrived in 1788.". To build a world worth living in. Edward Koiki Mabo was born on 29 June 1936. 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. Commemorating Mabo Day - Reconciliation Australia A clear theme from the Broome Roundtable revealed a common frustration among many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Transcript ID: 3849. To make agreements. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Promoting Indigenous peoples right to development. This dispossession occurred largely without compensation, and successive governments have failed to reach a lasting and equitable agreement with Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders concerning the use of their lands.[12]. It is clear that the current system has not delivered what had initially been intended to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 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. Speech to the Native Title Conference celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Mabo High Court decision 6 June 2012. . [1] J Altman., (2014) Scullion Peddles pipedream reforms, Journal of Indigenous Policy, At: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/JlIndigP/2014/33.pdf (viewed 5 June 2015). To strengthen our democracy as Eddie Mabo strengthened our law. It goes on to mention the yet unfulfilled nature of redress through a social justice package that I alluded to earlier: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been progressively dispossessed of their lands. These often hamper the development and economic aspirations of the communities involved right from the start. Our people know han. 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. Eddie Mabo Speech Essay - studyscroll.com Hide message. 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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 and others: products or agents of progress? That is, how do we build on the underlying communal title to create options for our economic development? Mabo and his fellow plaintiff's fought for land on Mer - their ancestral gardens and home. What is Mabo Day and why is it significant? - ABC News A number of key challenges that face Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were explored, particularly when it comes to the full realization of our rights under land rights and native title. Mabo, Edward Koiki (Eddie) (1936-1992) . Eddie Mabo Facts for Kids - Kiddle 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. Friendship with Eddie Mabo. We are currently not sharing in the developmental prosperity for which Australia is known. I have heard many stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and Traditional Owners about the many barriers they face in reaching their potential benefits under land rights and native title. Transcript. In particular, Roundtable participants lamented the lack of governance skills amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander landholders to successfully engage in business development and to manage their estates. It is lament. So, in many ways, the victory has been more symbolic than practical. We pay our respects to the people, their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging. (2012) This program was published 2 years ago. I have previously spoken at length about the importance of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which contains 46 articles on the rights that Indigenous peoples all around the world hold. The world of becoming ascends. Together yindyamarra winanghanha means to live with respect in a world worth living in. At the 1981 James Cook University Land Rights Conference Eddie Mabo made a passionate speech about land ownership and ancestral inheritance in the Murray Islands. Winanghanha is to return to knowing: to know what we have always known. Eddie Koiki Sambo was born on June 29, 1936 on the Torres Strait island of Mer, also known as Murray Island. Today in the midst of winter there is still smoke from a campfire, framing a word spelled out on the lawn: Sovereignty. In 1974, he became involved in a discussion with two academics. The 50-minute recording shows Koiki Mabo talking about the history of the Torres Strait Islander community, both in the Torres Strait and on the Australian mainland, and the long term impact on his culture of the coming of Europeans, from the first missionaries to current government administrators. The victory was largely down to one indigenous man called Eddie Mabo. Eddie Mabo and Gerard Brennan overturned the terra nullius policy and changed Australia forever. Across language itself. We go on, he said, ever, ever, ever on. Gail Mabo and Prime Minister Tony Abbott during their visit to the grave of Eddie Mabo on Mer Island. Eddie Mabo was a Torres Strait Islander activist. Up to April 2010, 84 native title cases had been dealt with by the courts, and 854,000 sq km (330,000 sq miles) is now covered by native title determinations. Other cases persisted. Truth. Older articles are being reviewed with a view to bringing them into line with contemporary values but the original text will remain available for historical context. Leeanne Enoch MP, Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Science and Innovation. Mabo vs QLD - Stories from the Archives And he knew truth. 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. The Murray Islands Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (commonly known as the Mabo case or simply Mabo) is a landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that recognised the existence of Native Title in Australia. As the Broome Roundtable highlighted, this remains one of the key unresolved issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their quest for ongoing economic development. Mabo v State of Queensland | State Library of Queensland It is this issue of development that I will explore later in greater detail. Eddie Koiki Mabo at Las, Murray Island, 1989 On 3 June 1992 the High Court of Australia recognised that a group of Torres Strait Islanders, led by Eddie Mabo, held ownership of Mer (Murray Island). 2023 BBC. Transcript 40979 | PM Transcripts That nearly a third of our land mass is Indigenous owned is testament to this. Mabo Collection | National Library of Australia The preamble to the Native Title Act makes it clear that the objectives of the legislation are to: rectify the consequences of past injustices by the special measures contained in the Act to ensure that Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders receive the full recognition and status within the Australian nation to which history, their prior rights and interests, and their rich and diverse culture, fully entitle them to aspire.[11]. And that is the cost to both men and their families. Mabo (film) - Wikipedia 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. Eddie Mabo, the man who changed Australia - BBC News