Eddie Mabo, hero or just a greedy, contentious man? Eddie Koiki Mabo is one of the most common household names in the Murray Island. An inspirational leader to some who sacrificed his own day to day life for his cause, Eddie fought and won against the government when fighting for the right to have his ancestor’s existence respected and acknowledged. But was Mabo just trying to steal land for himself and luckily stumbled into the limelight to become the face of the aboriginal fightback for equality? Eddie is man of sacrifice, he sacrificed his time with his family, numerous job opportunity and the responsibility of raising his family. He abandoned Bonita for large chunks of their children’s lives and left Bonita to both be the main provider for the family and to singlehandedly raise the children. This leads an observer to believe that Eddie was not really a hero to all, but a father who wasn’t there, a husband who didn’t provide and a man who prioritised selfish ambitions over his family. Eddie was not a hero to everyone, particularly his wife at numerous stages of his life. Bonita was isolated from her husband as she worked late night and cared for her children. Where was Eddie? Not there. Whether he was in “the lock up” because his pride got the better of him, or he was off doing late nights studying for his case. He wasn’t being the father or husband his family needed. Eddie was being selfish as his pride, ego and ambitions overtook his everyday life. Eddie failed to