The High Court’s decision on 3 June 3 1992 to uphold Edward Koiki Mabo’s claim that Murray Islanders hold “native title” to three islands within the region continues to reverberate 25 years later. One of the most important developments in Australian history, it laid to rest the concept of terra nullius, the legal fiction that Australia was an empty land when first occupied by white people.
Craig Ritchie, CEO of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, joins Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts to discuss the history and significance of the Mabo High Court decision on Native Title: how does it work, what were its successes and challenges, and what does means Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 25 years on?
When: Monday 26 June 2017, 12:30-1:30pm.
Where: Mitchell Theatre, Level 1, Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt St, Sydney.
Cost: Free – no bookings required.
Contact: library@smsa.org.au or 02 9266 0778
Image courtesy Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.