It was a decision that had wide-reaching ramifications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, overturning two centuries of the concept of terra nullius.
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On Saturday, only a few kilometres away from the High Court where the Mabo decision was handed down, members of Canberra's Indigenous community came together to mark 25 years since the landmark ruling.
The event, held at ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre, marked the anniversary of Aboriginal land rights prior to European settlement being formally recognised with performances from Indigenous dance groups and didgeridoo players, and speeches.
Food was also prepared for the ceremony using the traditional technique of using a kup murri, or an underground oven.
The Torres Strait Islander Corporation's chair Samantha Faulkner said this year's Mabo Day has taken on added significance.
"Celebrating 25 years of the decision is important for all of us, and the younger generation who weren't around when the decision was made," she said.
"It's important in terms of what it brought for recognition with native title rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."
Torres Strait Islander elders were invited to the event, however many were attending national Mabo Day commemorations being held in Townsville and Murray Island.
Saturday's anniversary helped to mark the end of National Reconciliation Week, which began on May 27 and also marked 50 years of the 1967 referendum that included Aboriginal people in the census.
Mrs Faulkner said the Indigenous community was still hearing about the repercussions from last week's summit at Uluru, which called for a treaty and a "First Nations Voice" being enshrined in the constitution.
"As a community, we're looking for what the next steps are," she said.
Among those in attendance at Saturday's commemoration was Torres Strait Islander Jamal Rome, who said the significance of Eddie Mabo's land-rights case was still being felt more than two decades on.
"It's massive when you really think about what he did," he said.
"When you meet some of the people who knew Eddie or were a part of his family, the stories about him just go on."
Mr Rome is one of many within the community calling for June 3 to be a public holiday to formally recognise Mabo Day, a sentiment also echoed by Mrs Faulkner.
"If we could have it as a public holiday, then we would," Mr Rome said.
Above all, Mrs Faulkner said Mabo Day was a day of celebration and also a time to recognise Australia's Indigenous community.
"It's important to recognise the success of the Mabo decision and to also reinforce our culture and community as well," she said.
