MABO
Student Activities
History
Junior Secondary - Years 7-10
Q1. Eddie Koiki Mabo is one of Australia’s most significant citizens. Many people regard Eddie as a
national hero. Construct a timeline of Eddie’s life containing what you consider to be the ten most
significant events of his life. Be ready to justify your choice of events during class discussion.
Go through the Timeline and watch the video MABO The Man to get some tips and clues.
Q2. When Captain James Cook arrived on the Australian continent’s eastern shore in 1770, he
officially claimed Australia as Crown Land in the name of the King of Great Britain; denying the
existence of any Indigenous ownership. Watch the documentary Invasion to learn about how and
why Cook made this claim. Explain in your own words what the term terra nullius means.
Q3. The island of Mer, also known as Murray Island, is one of many islands around the Australian
coastline inhabited by Indigenous Australians. Use the interactive QUIZ question on Murray Island’s
location to learn the exact location of Murray Island.
Draw a map of northern Australia including the Torres Strait region and the Papua New Guinea
mainland. Add an ocean, a river and two cities in the region. Carefully mark in, name and colour
Murray Island and at least two other islands in the same area.
Q4. Eddie Koiki Mabo claimed that for sixteen generations his ancestors had lived on Murray Island.
If one generation is regarded as twenty years, calculate approximately when Meriam people first
settled in the Torres Strait. Compare this date to 1770 when Captain James Cook landed on the east
coast of the Australian continent.
What does the comparison of these two dates tell you about who the first people to inhabit and
cultivate Australian land were?
Q5. The traditional culture of the Meriam people is passed down from one generation to the next by
legends, stories and song. One such story is the legend of Malo the Octopus God who created eight
clans in his name. View the videos Composing the Music and Writing and Researching to see the
significance of this practice.
Do some research into traditional Meriam legend. Select one story and explain how this legend helps
to preserve the Indigenous culture of Mer.
Q6. During the 20th century, Eddie Koiki Mabo and his community were bound by two laws - the
tribal Malo Law and the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Act. As a young man Eddie
was accused of breaking these laws and, as a result, was exiled from the island and, consequently,
his family. Watch the interviews with Jimi Bani (as Eddie) and Rob Carlton (as Paddy Killoran).
In 100 words explain how and why Eddie’s exile occurred. Conclude with a statement suggesting
how this event spurred Eddie towards a life of political activism for justice.
Q7. As a young man working in northern and outback Queensland, Eddie Koiki Mabo witnessed and
experienced racism and inequality. He dedicated his life to fighting for recognition and equality for
Indigenous Australians. Investigate methods of public protest available to Eddie during the 1970s
and 1980s.
Using the Timeline and video From Little Things Big Things Grow for reference, name and describe
two major political protest events that occurred between 1970 and 1990.
Q8. With his team of supporting lawyers, Eddie Koiki Mabo fought a ten-year battle in the Australian
court system. Watch the documentary The Mabo Case. Draw your own timeline of the legal events
that occurred in regard to Eddie’s case from 1982 to 1992. Include at least five public comments
made by Australian politicians.
Q9. In the latter part of the 20th century Australian society’s increasing desire for civil rights spurred
the growth of the union movement and the Land Rights Commission, as well as other equal rights
movements.
Research one of the civil rights causes of the period and write five key points describing how the
movement impacted on equality for all in Australia.
Q10. Eddie Koiki Mabo’s victory in the High Court of Australia resulted in historic change. The
passing of the Native Title Act in 1993 had significant and life-changing consequences for the
Indigenous people of Australia. To learn more about the importance of the Mabo Case in Australia’s
history view the videos National History and Interest and The Legacy of Mabo.
What is the Native Title Act? What does the passing of this Act mean for the Murray Island
community and all Indigenous Australians?
RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT
A number of key family, political, legal people were involved in the Mabo Case. These include: Eddie
Koiki Mabo himself, Bonita Mabo, Ron Castan, Bryan Keon-Cohen, Justice Moynihan and Margaret
White.
Present a PowerPoint case study on one of these people. Include details about their position,
involvement in and actions during the Mabo Case. Use research information, images, newspapers
and video clips to enhance your presentation.