Glossary beginning with M
- Mabo
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A 1992 landmark Australian High Court case led by Aboriginal activist Eddie Mabo, which was one of the first steps towards native title entitlements for indigenous Australians.
- Malaria
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A debilitating disease spread by mosquitoes. Especially common in tropical regions.
- malleability
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The ability to be shaped without cracking or breaking. From the Latin word 'malleus' meaning 'hammer'.
- Mantle
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The hot molten layers of Earth's core.
- Maritime Workers' Dispute
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In August 1890, a union struggle over better pay and working conditions brought Melbourne to a standstill when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to demonstrate.
- Marooned
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Stranded on a deserted island, often as a form of punishment.
- Mason
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A mason was originally a worker who builds in brick or stone. More recently a 'mason' can also refer to a member of a Masonic Lodge.
- Medicinal
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Having the qualities of medicine. A substance that promises to improve ones health.
- Melbourne Lodge of the Operative Masons
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A 19th century Melbourne organisation of masons. As well as promoting workers? rights and being an early prototype of the union movement, Masonic lodges were also secret societies with restricted membership.
- Midget Submarine
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Small submarines with a two man crew (and two torpedoes) launched from a larger mother submarine.
- Military tribunal
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A military court operating outside the general legal system
- Millennia
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Spans of 1000 years (plural of 'millennium').
- Mission reserves
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A number of Victorian missions, reserves and stations were set up in the late 19th century by the Aboriginal Welfare Board to house indigenous people on segregated areas of land.
- Mixed descent
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Another term for half-caste aboriginals or others of mixed races.
- Moniker
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A name that a person is known by; a nickname.
- Monody
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A sad poem about someone who has died
- Mother lode
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A large mass of underground gold in a region, usually undiscovered.
- Motif
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A distinctive image, idea or passage of music.
- Mouldboards
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The curved board or metal plate in a farmer’s plough that turns piles of dirt out of the ground.
- Murris
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Murris are a group of Aboriginal people from northern NSW and Queensland. The term is sometimes used to descibe Aboriginals in general in some parts of Australia.
- Mythology
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Shared stories that support the beliefs of the population.
- Myxomatosis
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A highly infectious viral disease deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population.
