Mabo Day – Monday 3 June 2002.

Welcoming Remarks by Sebastian Clark,
President of Manning Clark House

I first wish to acknowledge the original settlers as custodians of this country.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, the Committee and staff of Manning Clark House, and the Mabo family, who have been our guests over the past few days extend a sincere and warm welcome to all who are here to join Manning Clark House in our observance of Mabo Day.

We offer a special welcome to:

• the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, the Honourable Phillip Ruddock MP,
• the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, the Honourable Jon Stanhope MLA
• the Federal Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the Honourable Carmen Lawrence

We acknowledge the warm letters of support that have come from

• Dr Geoff Gallop, Premier of Western Australia;
• Peter Beattie, Premier or Queensland;
• Mike Rann, Premier of South Australia
• Jim Bacon, Premier of Tasmania;
• and Senator Aden Ridgeway, Deputy Leader of the Democrats.

Manning Clark House has also received word from the following people that various commitments prevent them from being here:

• Sir William Deane, Justice Hayne, Justice Gaudron, Justice Kirby Sir Gerard Brennan, Bryan Keon-Cohen QC,
• Paul Keating, Professor Ian Chubb, Professor Judith Whitworth,
• Senator Margaret Reid, Senator Robert Hill, Senator John Faulkner, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, Senator Amanda Vanstone,
• Brendan Nelson, Simon Crean, Jenny Macklin, Simon Corbell and Bill Wood and Kim Carr.

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the handing down by the High Court of Australia of what has become known throughout this country as the Mabo Decision.

It is the first time that Manning Clark House has observed what we would like to become known throughout Australia as Mabo Day.

We would also like it to become known that it is the objective of Manning Clark House that Mabo Day become part of this country’s official calendar.

We are confident that it will.

Judging by the initial response to our campaign, Mabo Day is a concept that all Australians can relate to. First and foremost, we have received the full support of the widow and family of Eddie Koiki Mabo.
There is strong support from the Indigenous community, from key bodies such as ATSIC and Reconciliation Australia and from state and federal politicians from all sides.
Most importantly, we are aware of the strong approval of ordinary Australians when they learn of our plans.

This idea – to make Mabo Day an official Australian annual event – is an idea that appeals to Australians because, clearly it is relevant to all Australians.
Mabo Day is the one day Australians can set aside each year to celebrate our unity as a society and how we achieve that unity.
Most other days in our calendar are not directly related to an independent Australia, or do not reflect the values or aspirations of every citizen.
Mabo Day, on the other hand, would be a day for all Australians.

Ours is a society of many cultures and it is our adherence to democratic values – particularly the right of every citizen to justice – that enables us to deal fairly with one another on major issues that can divide us.

Let’s look at Australia’s history.

Which one event better illustrates, or symbolises, this singular ability that we Australians have to fix it ourselves, to grow together as a community of diverse cultures – than the Mabo Decision? The Mabo Decision was a decision made in Australia, a decision made by Australians and a decision made for Australians. The Mabo Decision was not imposed on Australians by any other government or political system. The Mabo Decision was a decision of a wholly Australian institution – the High Court of Australia – and not, as it could once have been, a decision of the Privy Council in a distant land.

Over the next few years we earnestly hope that all Australians gain a better understanding of the significance of the Mabo decision.

The Mabo Decision acknowledged that land title in Australia is shared by the original Australians and recent settlers

That is why we are marking the launch of our campaign with the unveiling of a plaque that acknowledges the traditional owners, or custodians, of the land on which Manning Clark House stands.
That is why we hope others will follow our example.

We hope to build support throughout the community for the practice of using signage to publicly acknowledge Indigenous custodianship.

Each time some one visits a friend, or walks down the street and sees such a plaque, they will be reminded of how Australians of different cultures can overcome the issues that would otherwise divide them.

And each time they will be reminded that we co-exist on terms of mutual respect and with a mutual desire to maintain and draw strength from our unity as Australians . Original and recent settlers can learn from each other, especially about land, family, spirituality, health, education (Eddie Mabo ran a school in Townsville) and time.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

The observance of Mabo Day as an official day on our national calendar will recognise our freedom to celebrate our status as Australian citizens and reaffirm our belief in protecting that status for future citizens.

Each year, on this date, the third day of June, Mabo Day will be an occasion to celebrate that as Australian citizens we share this land in the way that we have ourselves determined through the application of justice.

And Mabo Day will be an occasion to reaffirm that Australian justice – the rule of law – must always remain accessible to each and every Australian citizen – as it was to Eddie Mabo

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