Charlotte Varcoe
COMMUNITY members came together at Mount Gambier City Hall last week to celebrate Eddie Mabo day.
Eddie Mabo was an Indigenous Australian man from the Torres Strait Islands and is famously known for his campaign for Indigenous land rights.
Mr Mabo’s name made headlines with his role in the landmark decisions of the High Court of Australia which recognised the Indigenous rights to land had continued after the British Crown acquired sovereignty and the international law of terra nullius was not applicable to Australian domestic law.
Mr Mabo’s case is known as Mabo vs Queensland and was found in favour of Mr Mabo, leading to the Native Title Act 1993 which established native title in Australia and officially recognised the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.
Community members from Indigenous and non-Indigenous backgrounds came together last Thursday to mark Mabo Day, which was officially held on Saturday.
The morning tea also recognised Mount Gambier/Berrin Torres Strait Islander elder Uncle Jack Sailor.
Speaking with The Border Watch, Uncle Jack recalled working alongside Mr Mabo in Queensland himself in the railway industry.
Uncle Jack said Mr Mabo was “alright, cheeky, funny and an everyday person” and did not realise he was going to end up the face of Native Title rights.
“I didn’t know there was going to end up being an Eddie Mabo day because to me he was just an ordinary guy,” Uncle Jack said.
“I knew him as an everyday person.”
Originally from Queensland, Uncle Jack moved to the South East around the 60s and worked on the Victoria railways.
He said he was happy people were recognising the work Mr Mabo did and that reconciliation was good for the future.
“I am happy people are starting to move forward and I remember when the police came to me with a piece of paper that said I was a free man,” Uncle Jack said.
“I hope we have a good future, we have had our time but everything changes when you grow older.”
The morning tea was one of many events held last week as part of Reconciliation Week with this year’s theme being Be a Voice for Generations.
