Who was Eddie Mabo and what did he do?
Eddie Mabo was a Torres Strait Islander activist. He is best known for the two court cases that bear his name, Mabo v. Queensland (numbers 1 and 2).
Where was Eddie Koiki Mabo born and raised?
Eddie Koiki Sambo was born June 29, 1936 on Mer (Murray Island) in the Torres Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea. He was the son of Robert Zezou Sambo and Annie Mabo. His mother died in childbirth after which he was adopted by his mother’s brother, as was the custom.
Why was Eddie Mabo important to Torres Strait Islanders?
Eddie Mabo was a Torres Strait Islander activist. He is best known for the two court cases that bear his name, Mabo v. Queensland (numbers 1 and 2). Those cases resulted in the acknowledgment that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had the right to claim the land they and their ancestors had lived on for thousands of years.
When is Eddie Mabo Day in Queensland Australia?
A documentary, Mabo: Life of an Island Man, directed by Trevor Graham was released in 1997 (and received the AFI Award for Best Documentary ). On 21 May 2008, James Cook University named its Townsville campus library the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library. Mabo Day is an official holiday in the Torres Shire, celebrated on 3 June.
Eddie Koiki Mabo, a TSI man from Mer Island in the Torres Strait, was working as a gardener at the James Cook University, Townsville in 1974. He was active in Aboriginal rights there – he had helped found the Health Service, and was known as an outspoken supporter for his people.
How old was Eddie Koiki Mabo when he died?
On 21 January 1992, nearly ten years after beginning their legal claim in the High Court of Australia, Eddie Koiki Mabo passed away from cancer aged fifty-six. On 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia decided in favour of Eddie Koiki Mabo and his fellow plaintiffs.
Who was the Unsun hero of the Mabo decision?
Nugget Coombs is the unsung hero of the Mabo decision. He chose the speakers for a land rights conference in Townsville, in late August, 1981. Two lawyers, Greg McIntyre and Barbara Hocking, delivered papers during a session, called A High Court Test Case? Eddie Koiki Mabo was one of the other speakers.