Eddie Mabo

Edward Koiki Mabo (29 June 1936 – 21 January 1992) was an Indigenous Australian man from the Torres Strait Islands known for his role in campaigning for Indigenous land rights in Australia, in particular the landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that recognised that indigenous rights to land had continued after the British Crown acquired sovereignty and that the international law doctrine of terra nullius was not applicable to Australian domestic law.

Mabo was born Edward Koiki Sambo on 29 June 1936 in the village of Las located on the island of Mer in the Torres Strait.

His parents were Robert Zesou Sambo and Poipe Mabo, but Eddie was adopted by his uncle Benny Mabo when his mother died shortly after he was born.

This adoption was part of traditional Torres Strait Islander adoption practices.

When young, Mabo was influenced by his teacher Robert 'Bob' Victor Miles, a relieving teacher with the Schools for Islanders.

Miles was known as a friend of all his students; he not only taught the children of the islands but also learnt their language and encouraged them to use their own language in class.

Mabo was one of these students and learnt more than just language from Miles, he also gained an understanding of 'mainland' culture.

Mabo, who lived with Miles for a time while his mother was ill, later reflected on the importance of his education.

Mabo married Bonita Neehow, an Australian South Sea Islander, in 1959.

The couple had seven children and adopted three more.

One daughter, Gail Mabo (born 1966 ), is a successful visual artist who has had her work exhibited across Australia.

In 1973, Eddie and Bonita Mabo established the Black Community School in Townsville, where Torres Strait Islander children could learn their own culture rather than white culture.

Speaking to the State Library of Queensland for their podcast series about the Mabo decision, Eddie's daughter Gail Mabo recalled that her father particularly objected to Torres Strait Islander children being taught a version of history that did not include any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander voices or perspectives.

She also said that Eddie Mabo believed that knowledge of their culture would give Torres Strait children growing up on the mainland a solid foundation and a sense of pride.

Noel Zaro attended the Black Community School, also known as BCS.

He remembered that on a standard day, the school taught Western subjects such as English and Maths in the morning: after lunch, students would be taught about Torres Strait Islander culture, including basic Meriam language vocabulary as well as traditional dancing.

Some students, including Noel Zaro, took field trips to other schools for traditional dance demonstrations, often transported by parents or family members.

As the school was not sanctioned by the Queensland education board, Eddie Mabo served unpaid as principal, cultural instructor and school bus driver.

He continued to work as a gardener at James Cook University in the evenings.

The time Mabo spent on the James Cook University campus had a massive impact on his life.

In 1974, he was talking with James Cook University historians Noel Loos and Henry Reynolds, and Loos recalls:

we were having lunch one day in Reynolds' office when Koiki was just speaking about his land back on Mer, or Murray Island.

Henry and I realised that in his mind he thought he owned that land, so we sort of glanced at each other, and then had the difficult responsibility of telling him that he didn't own that land, and that it was Crown land.

Koiki was surprised, shocked and even ...

he said and I remember him saying 'No way, it's not theirs, it's ours.'

Later, when Mabo was a research assistant on an oral history project in the Torres Strait, Reynolds records:

He got as far as Thursday Island and no further.

He was refused permission to land on any of the other islands in the Straits.

A reputation as a radical was a heavy burden in Queensland at the time.

That, along with his confident use of language, self-assured public speaking and understanding of mainland politics, culminated in the landmark case Mabo v Queensland in 1992.

Eddie had a great bond with his tradition.

He enjoyed activities such as Aboriginal painting, dancing and singing.

But his uncle and aunt, Benny and Maigo Mabo, taught him to respect other's cultures as well.

High court judges considering the case Mabo v Queensland (No 2) found in favour of Mabo, which led to the Native Title Act 1993 and established native title in Australia, officially recognising the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.

Before beginning her studies in art in the 2000s, she had a career in dance, choreography, and acting.

She has also worked with schools in New South Wales as a cultural advisor, and has served as the family's designated spokesperson.

Mabo's nephew was Anglican Bishop Saibo Mabo.

His great-nephew is NBA athlete Patty Mills, the third Indigenous Australian to represent the nation in Olympic basketball.

Mabo worked on pearling boats, as a cane cutter, and as a railway fettler (worker), becoming a gardener at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland at age 31.

Bonita Mabo died in Townsville on 26 November 2018, aged 75, just days after receiving an honorary doctorate of letters from James Cook University for her contributions to Indigenous rights and human rights.