eddie mabo speech transcript eddie mabo speech transcript

HOST: Today is Mabo Day. 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. We are currently not sharing in the developmental prosperity for which Australia is known. [1] Cast [ edit] Jimi Bani as Eddie Mabo Gedor Zaro as Young Eddie Deborah Mailman as Bonita Mabo (ne Neehow) To build a world worth living in. 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 . It is clear that we have seen a change in momentum as far as this space is concerned. In 1959, he moved to mainland Queensland, working on pearling vessels and as a labourer. Several cabinet papers from the time of the Mabo decision reflect on its likely ramifications, including: The National Archives of Australia acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community. It was on 3 June 1992 that the Australian High Court overturned more than 200 years of white domination of land ownership. On Monday, he laid a wreath on Mr Mabo's grave on Mer Island. That was Eddie Mabos gift. It is short for Mabo and others v Queensland (No 2) (1992). 2009 Presentation by Professor Ross Garnaut, Vice-Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Fellow in Economics, The University of Melbourne, and Distinguished Professor, The Australian University. Overwhelmingly, what participants told us at the Roundtable was that whilst there had been an expansion of the Indigenous estate since the commencement of the Native Title Act that it largely has not delivered sustainable outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I walked into the news meeting at the ABC with words. Eddie Mabo would not live to see his final victory, but in that judgement he became immortal. [10] UN Development Programme, Human Development Index, UN Human Development Report, p237. Justice John Willis said: "In Australia it is the colonists not the Aborigines are the foreigners.". Judged by any civilised standard, such a law is unjust ". Rejected at each turn. Eddie Koiki Sambo was born on June 29, 1936 on the Torres Strait island of Mer, also known as Murray Island. But it was a bittersweet moment for the indigenous population. The next generation of native title issues are due to hit us shortly through processes such as litigation regarding ILUAs, variations to determinations and compensation proceedings.[2]. British law under a British flag. Eddie Mabo at James Cook University, early 1980s Series 8. Realising these aspirations, is key to our economic development and prosperity as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples where our land is our ultimate asset. We did not end. The golden house of is of culture and connection, of blood and dreaming, of time immemorial how the golden house of is collapses. 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. Words speak across tongues. Mabo rejected the more militant direct action tactics of the land rights movement, seeing the most important goal as being to destroy the legal justification for what he regarded as land theft. In 1994 the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) was established in response to Read More When the decision overturning Terra Nullius eventually came, the judges referred to the policy as "the darkest aspect of (our) national history" and one that left "a legacy of unutterable shame". This sovereignty is a spiritual notion: the ancestral tie between the land, or "mother nature", and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who were born therefrom, remain attached thereto, and must one day return thither to be united with our ancestors. Vincent Lingiari and men and women of the Gurindji people. During this time he enrolled as a student and studied teaching at the College of Advanced Education, which later amalgamated with JCU. Sign up for free to create engaging, inspiring, and converting videos with Powtoon. British law was the law of the colony and usurped and superseded Aboriginal law. This could also be translated as greater Indigenous control over our lands and resources more generally, and a decrease in the burden placed on Indigenous landholders as I have mentioned earlier today by government and other industries. 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). The Mabo verdict was arguably the most significant court ruling in the history of Indigenous Australia, overturning the concept of terra nullius and paving the way for native title. But he was wrong. I like how the words create a rhythm. Mabo v Queensland (No 1) was heard in 1986and 1988. Thank you Russell for your kind words of introduction. The court dismissed his challenge to Australian sovereignty, but in his opinion Justice Lionel Murphy rattled the bones of the Australian settlement. " The Mabo decision was a legal case held in 1992. When democracy is teetering and autocracy is rising. The "fallacy" that Perkins speaks of is the concept of Terra Nullius, land belonging to no-one. Others, mainly white opponents, regarded the judgement as a mistake. A while back I read a business management book by an American, Leon C. Megginson. This link is the basis of the ownership of the soil, or better, of sovereignty., "This is the torment of our powerlessness.". Love, suffering, hope, justice and truth Eddie Mabo knew about love too. 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]. 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. To make agreements. The judges satisfied themselves that Aboriginal people had been in Australia first, did have a long, rich culture that denoted civilisation and had voluminous evidence of land demarcation, usage and inheritance, to back up their claims of longevity and history. The nation remained diminished. Eddie's daughter, Gail Mabo remembers that day well. Eddie Koiki Mabo: A Meriam man, husband to Bonita Mabo and father to 10 children. But the . He was a Meriam man and grew up on Mer, part of the Murray Island Group in the Torres Strait. It is clear that the current system has not delivered what had initially been intended to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Eternal. 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. My people are the Gangulu from the Dawson Valley in Central Queensland. [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? Mabo's love for his homeland drove the proud Torres Strait Islander to undertake a 10- year legal battle that rewrote Australia's history. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.. You can find it still, somewhere buried in the archives of ABC News. It's the anniversary of a court decision that recognized for . Eddie Koiki Mabo was a Torres Strait Islander, known for his role in campaigning for Indigenous land rights and for the landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that overturned the legal doctrine of terra nullius ('land belonging to nothing, no one') which characterised Australian law with regards to land and title. It is a feeling. 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. 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? The issue of compensation for unfinished business was another key theme of the Roundtable. 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. Mabo died five months earlier from cancer in January 1992, at the age of 55. Topics are usually less than 2 minutes long. 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. In 1992 the High Court handed down its historic ruling. 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. On November 16, 1990, after a year of considering the facts of the case, Justice Moynihan delivered his written findings to the High Court of Australia. Eddie Mabo (left) and . Family gatherings were foregone. 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]. 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 Roundtable was held after there was significant interest on this issue when Commissioner Wilson and I undertook some consultations around the country last year. The Mabo decision was handed down on June 3, 1992 in the High Court's grand courtroom in Canberra. 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. 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. In August 1981 Mabo attended a conference on land rights at James Cook University. He spoke of impermanence: He knew things did not last and yet we do. Can I be indulgent and add a couple of others. Mabo expressed. These organisations could assist in under-writing costs, insurance and risk as well as helping explore options for Indigenous specific loan products. And he was right. The second key theme that was raised at the roundtable was the issue of financing economic development within the Indigenous estate. This independence could be realized through greater roles for Indigenous landholders through business, land management and other opportunities. Yindyamarra winanghanha. More information. There was scepticism, even cynicism, but I was able to report the story. From 1973-1983 he established and became director of the Black Community School in Townsville. 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. Make an Impact. Speech to the Native Title Conference celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Mabo High Court decision 6 June 2012. . JCU websites use cookies to enhance user experience, analyse site usage, and assist with outreach and enrolment. Suggested answer: While working as a grounds keeper at James Cook University in Townsville, Eddie learnt about Australian land ownership laws. Eddie Mabo was a staff member at JCU, working as a groundsman from 1967 to 1971. This case, I said thisman Mabo will change Australia. The justices spoke of a legacy of "unutterable shame"and that the dispossession of Indigenous people was the darkest aspect of Australia's history. Words makaratta. Transcript ID: 3849. This is an edited extract of the 2022 Mabo Lecture, delivered by Stan Grant on June 3, 2022, to commemorate 30 years since the Mabo decision. The legal decision was made by the High Court on 3 June 1992. 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. While working as a gardener at James Cook University, he found out through two historians that, by law, he and his family did not own their land on Mer. 5. 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. Ten years later, he conceded his fears were unfounded. "Koiki was ambitious for himself and for his people.". He's recorded as saying: "No way, it's not theirs, it's ours." But he was wrong. As this brave mans voice even as he had passed was heard by another man who is now gone and together they changed us. Only land such as vacant crown land, national parks and some leased land, can be subject to claims by the Aboriginal owners. Bonita 'Netta' Mabo: Eddie's wife and is a resourceful, supportive and loving woman. In May 1982, Eddie Mabo and four other Meriam people of the Murray Islands in the Torres Strait began action in the High Court of Australia seeking confirmation of their traditional land rights. 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. 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.