The Wire

This week is the twelfth anniversary of the High Court decision which overturned the idea of Terra Nullius and recognised Eddie Mabo and his family’s claim on the Torres Strait island of Mer. Bonita Mabo told Adelaide audiences at this week’s Native Title conference that all the fears of non-indigenous Australians that their backyards may be claimed were quite unfounded. Canadian professor John Borrows who delivered the Mabo lecture at the conference said the Mabo decision has ironically ended up protecting Crown land more strongly than ever.