Guide to the Papers of Edward Koiki Mabo, 1943, 1959-1992 (bulk 1972-1992)

Summary

Collection number:

MS 8822

Creator:

Mabo, Eddie, 1936-1992 and Mabo, Bonita, Mrs.

Extent:

(28 ms boxes + 2 folio boxes + 1 outsize phase box)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Edward Koiki Mabo, National Library of Australia, MS 8822, [series and file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Part available for research; part NOT available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

Edward Koiki Mabo was born in 1936 on the island of Mer, one of the Murray Islands, which are located at the eastern extremity of Torres Strait. In June 1992, six months after his death, Mabo achieved national prominence as the successful principal plaintiff in the landmark High Court ruling on native land title. The High Court ruling, for the first time, gave legal recognition to the fact that indigenous land ownership existed in Australia before European settlement and that, in some cases, this land tenure was not subsequently extinguished by the Crown.

Biographical Note:

Loos, Noel and Mabo, Koiki. Edward Koiki Mabo: his life and struggle for land rights. Brisbane : University of Queensland Press, 1996.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

An initial instalment of papers of Eddie Mabo was acquired by the Library from his widow, Bonita Mabo, in 1994. A further instalment was acquired from the same source in November 2002.

Arrangement:

When the Library took delivery of the initial instalment of Mabo Papers, they consisted of a mixture of labelled files and loose papers. Files created and identified by Mabo have been retained and located in their appropriate series. In some cases, where papers were clearly misfiled, file contents were rearranged by Library staff in consultation with the Mabo family. Loose papers have been arranged into series in thematic and chronological order by Library staff. Readers can identify files created by Mabo as these have been kept in their original folders and stored in the Library's numbered acid-free folders. The guide published by the National Library in 1995 is a record of the content and organisation of the original instalment.

Indexed terms

Names:

Mabo, Bonita, Mrs.

Conditions Governing Access:

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn612970).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Edward Koiki Mabo, National Library of Australia, MS 8822, [series and file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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