Mabo Day Address – Ezra Mabo
The Mabo Decision was a turning point for the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights, because it acknowledged their unique connection with the land and the overturned fiction of terra nullius – the legal concept that Australia and the Torres Strait Islands were not owned by indigenous people because they did not ‘use’ the land in ways Europeans believed constituted some kind of legal possession. It led to the Australian Parliament passing the Native Title Act 1993. Mabo day occurs on June 3 annually and commemorates Eddie Mabo and all that he has done for Indigenous land rights in Australia, symbolising truth, justice and is a cornerstone of Reconciliation.
As part of Reconciliation week tomorrow from 10.30am at the Powerhouse Museum there will be a Mabo Day address with Pat O’Shane. Also part of the address tomorrow is Ezra Mabo, the grandson of Eddie Mabo and he joined us on the line to tell us about his grandfather, Mabo Day and what he is doing now in remote Indigenous communities.
