Melbourne is marking one of the most significant dates in Australian history with a free night of music, food and community at Fed Square.
The Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) in partnership with the City of Melbourne and Fed Square is proud to present a free Mabo Day Celebration Concert, 3 June at The Edge in Fed Square.
The night brings together Torres Strait Islander performers based in Narrm for an evening of live music, spoken word, authentic Islander food, video and a ukulele sing-along honouring the life and legacy of Eddie Koiki Mabo.
The Mabo Day Celebration Concert lineup features MC Leon Filewood, singer Kee’ahn, musician Jessie Lloyd and DJ randals dad, all Torres Strait Islander artists currently based in Melbourne. It’s shaping up to be a vibrant community gathering rather than a formal commemoration, with plenty to keep things lively across the two-and-a-half hour program.
Mabo Day Celebration Concert at Fed Square
- 3 June, The Edge, Fed Square
- Free, registration required
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Mabo Day is observed every year on 3 June, marking the anniversary of the 1992 High Court decision that overturned the colonial doctrine of terra nullius, the legal fiction that Australia was land belonging to no one.
Eddie Koiki Mabo, a Mer Island man, was the lead plaintiff in that landmark case, and his decade-long fight reshaped Australian law and history. Tragically, Mabo passed away several months before the ruling was handed down, never seeing the outcome of his efforts.
The KHT has a particularly meaningful connection to the case. The late Ron Castan AM QC, one of the organisation’s founders, served as lead counsel for the plaintiffs from the case’s beginning in 1982 right through to the High Court’s judgment in 1992, dedicating over a decade to the legal battle, largely on a pro-bono basis.
The Native Title Act 1993 followed the decision, providing First Peoples with a legal framework to claim native title to their traditional lands.
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This article was made in partnership with the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) in partnership with the City of Melbourne and Fed Square.
