Mabo Day

Mabo Day is commemorated on June 3 each year in the Torres Strait Islands and across Australia. It marks the anniversary of the 1992 High Court decision that recognized Eddie Koiki Mabo’s fight for Indigenous land rights, overturning the legal doctrine of terra nullius (the idea that Australia was land belonging to no one before European settlement). Here, in the Torres Strait, where Mabo was born on Mer Island, the day is celebrated with cultural performances, community gatherings and reflections on land rights and justice. It’s a powerful day of pride, remembrance and cultural strength.