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Saibo Mabo (14 May 1947 – 12 May 2017) was an Australian bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia. He served as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of North Queensland from 2002 to 2015, and as National Bishop to the Torres Strait Islander people during that time.
Mabo commenced ministry from the age of 17 after he felt he was being called to work as a priest. He was educated at Nungalinya College and then spent his ministry supporting indigenous people in Far North Queensland and across Australia. Before being consecrated as bishop, Mabo travelled to South America, England and New Zealand, to learn more about his faith.
Mabo was consecrated on 24 February 2002 in the All Souls and St Bartholomew's Cathedral Church on Thursday Island by Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall. Following Murray Island custom, Mabo was escorted from his home, 200 metres from the church, to the steps of the church by island elders.
Mabo spent his first year as bishop visiting the congregations who had broken away from the Diocese in 1997 and 1998 in protest at the appointment of Mosby. He described the year as "challenging" but "successful", claiming he had received "many people into the Anglican Church from different denominations, not just the breakaway churches".
As Bishop, Mabo spent time representing the Anglican Church of Australia on the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Council. Together with local Member of Parliament Warren Entsch, Mabo led a successful restoration project of the Quetta Church Hall on Thursday Island as a community initiative, with Entsch serving as Patron and Mabo as chair of the project. Mabo also was instrumental in supporting the Torres Strait community following the murder of eight children in the Cairns suburb of Manoora in December 2014.
Mabo served as bishop until mid-2015 when he retired from the role, following which he became the local parish priest at All Souls and St Bartholomew's Cathedral Church.
Mabo was survived by his wife Sania, two children and seven grandchildren.
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