Eddie Mabo

Torres Strait Islander activist who transformed land rights in Australia

Eddie Koiki Mabo (1936-1992) spearheaded the landmark Mabo Decision that overturned Australia's terra nullius doctrine. As a Meriam man from Murray Island, he spent a decade fighting legal battles that culminated in the 1992 High Court ruling recognizing Indigenous land ownership.

Mabo's activism began in 1974 when, working as a groundskeeper at James Cook University, he discovered his ancestral lands were legally considered Crown property. Partnering with lawyers and academics, he meticulously documented Meriam land customs through:

The ruling's impact was seismic—it invalidated 200+ years of colonial land claims and enabled the Native Title Act 1993. Though Mabo died months before the verdict, his wife Jessie accepted the historic judgment. Today, over 40% of Australia's land mass is under Indigenous title.

Mabo's legacy is honored through statues, the annual Mabo Day (June 3), and UNESCO-listed documentary archives preserving his struggle for justice.