MABO: A CATALYST, 25 YEARS ONGREG MCINTYRE SC

ADDRESSING PAST HARM – MANAGING FUTURE RISKS

National Environmental Law Association

National Conference 2017

MURRAY ISLANDS:MER, DAWAR, WAIER

MALO: 8 TRIBES OF MER

EDDIE KOIKI MABO

FR DAVE PASSI

ON A BOAT TO DAUAR ISLAND

L-R: James Rice, Bryan Keon-Cohen, Koiki Mabo, Greg McIntyre, Henry Kobere travelling

with Supreme Court to inspect land and sea boundaries on Dauer.

© Bryan Keon-Cohen

MABO NO 1 – QLD COAST ISLANDS DECLARATORY ACT

JUSTICE GAUDRON: “COULD

HAVE BEEN DRIVEN INTO THE SEA”JUSTICE DEANE: “TRESPASSERS ON THEIR OWN LAND

Mabo in the High Court 1992

HOW MUCH NATIVE TITLE IS THERE?

MABO CELEBRATIONS EDDIE MABO’S GRAVE

SAM PASSI’S GRAVE

3 JUNE 2017 – MER: PROCESSING TO SAM PASSI’S GRAVE

DAVE PASSI & BRYAN KEON-COHEN

PRE-MABO STRUGGLES

• Gove peninsula Nabalco mine 1970

• Aboriginal Tent Embassy 1972

• Aurukun 1977-78

• Ranger Uranium mine 1978-80

• Noonkanbah 1978-80

• FramlingPitjantjatjara Land Rights campaign 1978-81

• Uluru land claim ham Regional Park blockade 1979

• Alcoa Aluminium Smelter at Portland 1980

• 1979

PRE-MABO LITIGATION

• Milurrpum v Nabalco (1970)

• Peinkinna (1977)

• Coe v Commonwealth (1978)

• Onus v Alcoa (1980)

• Wacando (1981)

• Koowarta v Bjelke Petersen (1982)

• Gerhardy v Brown (1983)

• Bropho v WA (1990)

• Tickner v Bropho (1992)

POLITICAL REPRESENTATION

• National Aboriginal Consultative Council 1972-77

• National Aboriginal Conference 1977-85

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission 1990 – 2005

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner 1992 AHRC Act & NTA

• Council or Aboriginal Reconciliation Act 1991 – 2001 – Reconciliation Australia

• National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples 2008

• PM’s Indigenous Advisory Council 2013

• Referendum Council

ULURU STATEMENT FROM THE HEART

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

• Section 60A(1) There shall be an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander body which

shall have the function of providing advice to the Parliament and the Executive

Government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

• (2) The Parliament shall have power to make laws with respect to that body.

• Section 101 Inter-state Commission re trade & commerce – NSW v Cth (1915): not

Ct - defunct 1920 – I-SC Act 1975 – repealed 1989