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Home > Eddie Mabo & Ors v The State of Queensland and The Commonwealth of Australia


Eddie Mabo & Ors v The State of Queensland and The Commonwealth of Australia (commonly known as Mabo) is a landmark Australian court case which was decided by the High Court of Australia on June 3, 1992.

The effective result of this judgement was to invalidate the declaration of terra nullius, or "empty land" which had been pronounced at the time of British colonisation in 1788, and to recognise a form of native title. The implications of this decision are still being determined, but there is no doubt that it was a decision that shifted the political, legal and social landscape of Australia.

The action which brought about the decision had been led by Eddie Mabo of the Meriam people (from the Murray Islands of the Torres Strait).

In response to the Mabo judgement and to the subsequent and potential reactions, the Australian Federal Parliament (then controlled by the Labor Party led by Paul Keating) enacted the Native Title Act 1993. This was amended in 19981998 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year of the Ocean''. Events January January 1998 A massive ice storm, caused by El Nino, strikes New England, southern Ontario and Quebec, resulting following the 19961996 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty''. Events January January 5 Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone Jan Wik Decision.

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