Mabo’s success lives on

EDDIE Mabo used to tell his daughter his name would become well known to the world.

And 25 years ago, his battle for justice did just that.

On June 3, 1992, the High Court handed down its decision in the Mabo case, overturning 200 years of the common law assumption of terra nullius – the idea Australia belonged to no-one when European settlers arrived.

Mr Mabo never witnessed the historic ruling, having died five months beforehand in January 1992.

“He said, when I was 15, that one day all of Australia would know his name because of what he was doing – and I thought he was crazy,” daughter Gail told ABC yesterday.

“I wanted my dad to be around to actually reap the benefits of what he’d done but because he wasn’t there, I cried and I looked to the heavens and I said: ‘Dad, you did it. You won and yes, all of Australia now knows your name’.”

Ms Mabo remembers discussing the topic of land rights around the dinner table growing up, with her father always encouraging the family to watch the issues unfold.

“He wanted us to know that when it did happen, it would be beneficial for indigenous Australia,” Ms Mabo said, adding that more needed to be done.

She urged governments to “listen to the masses” and spend more time talking with indigenous communities.

“It’s through those smaller, baby steps, we can actually make a change,” she said.

The 25th anniversary of the judgement was commemorated at the Mabo Day Festival in Townsville yesterday, attracting thousands of people.