Eddie Koiki Mabo

Book excerpt: 'He was in the best sense a fighter for equal rights, a rebel, a free-thinker, a restless spirit, a reformer who saw far into the future and far into the past.' Dr Bryan Keon-Cohen, plaintiffs' barrister in the Mabo litigation Here, largely in his own words, is the incredible story of Edward Koiki Mabo, from his childhood on the Island of Mer through to his struggle within the union cause and the black rights movement. Tragically, Mabo died just months before the historic High Court native-title decision that destroyed forever the concept of terra nullius. Originally published by UQP in 1996, this new edition has been updated by Mabo's long-time friend historian Noel Loos. New photographs and a preface by esteemed film director Rachel Perkins give this book the new life it deserves.