Story 004 | The Gardeners of the Murray Islands

 

Far away on the tiny Murray Islands, the Meriam people have lived as devoted gardeners for generations. They knew every rock and every tree that marked their family land. But many years ago, the government claimed the islands were terra nullius – a fancy Latin word meaning “nobody’s land”. They acted as if the Meriam people and their ancient gardens didn’t even exist! Finally, after a long fight, the High Court of Australia admitted the truth: the land was never empty. They realized that the Meriam people were the rightful owners all along. How can you say a land is “empty” when people are already there planting seeds?