... and the land has alienated them from their spiritual need of their life, the Dreaming. In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip sailed into the shores of Australia. He claimed the land terra nullius, an empty or uncivilised land. The Europeans believed that they had rights to the land, as the aborigines did not use the land for farming or housing. During white settlement ... system. The most common case and the case that rewrote the Australian common law was Mabo. The Meriam people led by Eddie Mabo were on a crusade to overturn the doctrine Terra Nullius. The Mabo case went to the High Court and...

• Word Count: 1002
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and traditions such as corroborees and initiations be practised and no longer could Sacred Sites be visited. In 1788, Captain Cook claimed the newfound land of Australia, and declared it "Terra Nullius"." This meant that the land belonged to no one and therefore give him the right to posses the land and establish a colony. When the Europeans regarded the Aboriginals as inferior ... fully restored. Mabo was the first Aboriginal man to win a court case concerning land rights issues. In 1993, the Native Title Act was established that recognised that Australia was not "Terra Nullis " at the...

• Word Count: 1408
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Eddie Mabo and his community. The Mabo decision is important to all Australians as it states that Indigenous Australians were the true owners of Australia. It also erased the fictitious "Terra Nullius". Many people thought that they will lose their land as a result of the trial but this is false. Aboriginals do not have the right to claim land that has already ... ...

• Word Count: 339
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School