Angela Bassett gave out a master of fine arts degree.
Mabo v Queensland -LRB- No 2 -RRB- -LRB- commonly known as Mabo -RRB- was a landmark High Court of Australia decision in 1992 recognising native title in Australia for the first time .. High Court of Australia. High Court of Australia. native title. native title. landmark. landmark case. native title in Australia. native title in Australia. The High Court held that the doctrine of terra nullius , which imported all laws of England to a new land , did not apply in circumstances where there were already inhabitants present -- even if those inhabitants had been regarded at the time as `` uncivilized '' .. terra nullius. terra nullius. Consequently , the Court held that the rules of reception of English law that applied were not those applicable where the land was barren and unhabited , but rather the rules that applied where an existing people were settled .. The result was that existing customary laws which were present at the time of settlement survived the reception of English law to the extent not modified or excluded by subsequent inconsistent laws and acts of the sovereign .. Relevantly , that existing law included indigenous land title .. As such , any indigenous land rights which had not been extinguished by subsequent grants by the Crown continued to exist in Australia .. In so ruling , the High Court overturned Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd -LRB- 1971 -RRB- , a contrary decision of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory .. Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd. Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd. Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. Supreme Court of the Northern Territory