Eddie Mabo Aboriginal Rights

Eddie Mabo was an Aboriginal rights activist who fought for rights of indigenous peoples to land (Land Rights) and for the government to recognise Aboriginals spiritual ties to pieces of land (Native title) . for aboriginal people throughout the 1980’s and early 1990’s. He campaigned for the right for aboriginal groups to own certain pieces of land of water due to the spiritual connection they have to that land or water. Mabo was born and lived on the Murray Island and wanted for his Native title and Land Rights to be recognised by the government. Mabo fought against High Court of Australia in 1988. However he did not see the outcome of the case, due to his death in 1992 by cancer.

Before the Mabo case, Australian land was considered “Terra

Nullius”, or land belonging to no one. This rule was set by Captain Cook when he landed in Botany Bay in 1788. When the British colonized, they believed that because the Aboriginals had not built houses, roads, farms or had invented any kind of modern technology, that they were an uncivilized, “savage” race. The British believing that they were the “better” race, colonized land and turned it into farms and housing without any thought to the Aboriginals and their tie to that land. This unwarranted use of land occurred all the way up until the end of the Mabo case in 1993.