Eddie mabo was the first black man to win in the courtsand managed to make the Terra Nullius (no mans land) belong to Torres strait islanders.
Eddie did win his case and the government overturned the common law of terra nullius to give the land back to the Murray island peopple
Eddie Mabo was born on June 5, 1936, on Mer Island in the Torres Strait, Australia. He was a significant figure in advocating for Indigenous land rights, particularly known for his role in the landmark Mabo case, which challenged the legal concept of terra nullius in Australia.
It was to get aboriginals the right to own their sacred land and also to end terra nullius, which was the concept that Australia was not owned by any race of people prior to European settlement.
His aim was to help the indigenous people get their land rights back. He did this by successfully taking the case, well known as 'The Mabo Case', to court and used the Terra Nullius beliefs to convince the high court to give their land rights back.
Terra Nullius means "land that belongs to no-one".By applying this concept to Australia in 1788, it simplified the act of colonisation of Australia by the British. Great Britain sought to expand its empire, and so the country applied the doctrine of 'terra nullius' to Australia as that gave them the right to claim and occupy the continent. Britain was able to prove to the satisfaction of its judicial system that Australia was terra nullius - a land without ownership - because the English found difficulty in locating any individual(s) able to negotiate a treaty with the indigenous inhabitants.
Eddie Mabo campaigned for Indigenous land rights. He was involved in a landmark case which overturned the long held view that Australia was empty when Europeans arrived called terra nullius and awarded Aboriginals right to the land, this was called native title.
Eddie Mabo (born Edward Koiki Sambo) is best known for his campaigns for recognition of the land ownership rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. He was heavily involved in the overturning of the legal principle Terra Nullius - 'no man's land' - which stated that the traditional land of the indigenous people had no legal owner.
Eddie Mabo was an Indigenous Australian land rights activist and a gardener by profession. He worked as a groundskeeper at James Cook University in Queensland. Mabo is best known for his pivotal role in the landmark legal case Mabo v Queensland, which challenged the notion of terra nullius and led to the recognition of native title in Australia. His efforts significantly advanced the rights of Indigenous Australians regarding land ownership and heritage.
Mabo (properly cited Mabo [no2] 175 CLR 1) related to the concept of native title. This dispute put in question the validity of the use of 'Terra Nullius' as a means of establishing English law under the doctrine of reception. It was found that the land did belong to the aborigines, and hence should have been conquered rather than settled by the first fleet.
Aborigines
Eddie's famous Aboriginal last name is "Mabo." He is well known for his significant role in the landmark Mabo case, which led to the recognition of Indigenous land rights in Australia. This case challenged the notion of terra nullius, or "land belonging to no one," and was a pivotal moment in Australian legal history regarding Indigenous peoples.