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30 years since Mabo

2022 marked the 30th anniversary of the landmark decision which recognised in Australian law for the first time the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to their lands. The Mabo Case was successful in overturning the myth that at the time of colonisation Australia was ‘terra nullius’ or land belonging to no one.

Hear from Indigenous academic lawyer and researcher Eddie Synot; one of Australia’s most recognised historians Professor Henry Reynolds, lawyer and granddaughter of Koiki Mabo Hannah Duncan,  and the son of the only surviving plaintiff Charles Passi as they discuss what changed, what didn’t and what still needs to be done.

Presented by State Library of Queensland and The Conversation, the world's leading free, fact-based news source written by academics and edited by journalists. The Conversation is an online independent source of news and views, drawn from university, CSIRO and research institute experts and delivered direct to the public.

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Legacy: reflections on Mabo

Celebrate the man behind the game-changing Native Title Act, Eddie Koiki Mabo, and the ongoing influence and impact he has had on Australian society and culture.
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Arone Meeks, ‘Mabo 25 & Big Wet Community’ (detail), 2018