Eddie Mabo was born on the Island of Mer and spent the best part of ten years pursuing a court case to gain recognition of his rights to family land, only to die just before the final judgement was handed down in 1992. Native title is extinguished by valid grants of land or water to people other than native title holders in ways that exclude co-existent Indigenous rights. Because of its serious consequences for Indigenous property rights, extinguishment requires a clear and plain intention. Native title cannot displace privately owned homes or other private property, such as farms, commercial or residential property, which is held under freehold title. There is a common misconception that large areas of land where most non-Indigenous Australians live and work can be subject to native title.
Native title is no threat to private property.
If an Indigenous group achieves recognition of their native title, their title is still subject to any valid grant that has been made over the same land. In other words, the rights of existing landowners are protected. Native title recognises rights that have previously been denied on the basis of race. Other British-based common law countries, such as the USA, Canada and New Zealand have long recognised Indigenous property rights. Statutory land rights flow from the Crown under legislation, similar to freehold and leasehold titles.