Mabo Day  3 June

Mabo Day is a particularly significant day for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The day marks the anniversary of the High Court of Australian's judgement in the 1992 Mabo case.

The High Court, in an historical judgement delivered on 3 June 1992, accepted the claim by Eddie Mabo and the other claimants that their people, the Meriam people had occupied the Islands of Mer for hundreds of years before the arrival of the British. The decision overturned a legal fiction that Australia was terra nullius (a land belonging to no-one) at the time of British colonisation.

The late Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo's name is synonymous with native title rights. His story began in 1982 when he and fellow Murray (Mer) Islanders, David Passi, Sam Passi, James Rice and Celuia Salee instituted a claim in the High Court for native title to Mer Island in the Torres Strait.

Coming of the Light  1 July

Torres Strait Islanders living in the islands and mainland Australia come together to honour this anniversary every year on 1 July.

The London Missionary Society set out to convert people of the Southwest Pacific to Christianity from the 1840s.

On the 1 July 1871, Reverend Samuel MacFarlane, a member of the Society anchored at Erub (Darnley Island) in the Torres Strait.

In defiance of tribal law Dabad, a Warrior Clan Elder on Erub welcomed the London Missionary Society. The acceptance of missionaries and Christianity into Torres Strait led to profound changes that affected every aspect of life from that time onwards.

It is recognition of an integral point in time when Christianity was accepted by Torres Strait Islanders. Where there are significant numbers of Torres Strait Islanders a re-enactment of the event depicting the first contact with missionaries is held.

This re-enactment generally depicts the hostile reception displayed by the majority of people in the village that took place on a beach of Erub (Darnley Island).

Activities include church services and a re-enactment of the landing at Kemus on Erub; hymn singing; feasting; and ailan dances strengthen community and family ties.