Tiwi Islands

The Tiwi Islands are located in Australia's Northern Territory 80 km north of Darwin at the junction of the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea. They are composed of Melville Island and Bathurst Island, with a combined area of 8320 km².

The islands are inhabited by the Tiwi, as they have been since before European settlement in Australia. The Tiwi people are an Indigenous Australian people culturally and linguistically distinct from those of Arnhem Land on the mainland just across the water. They number around 2,500. In 1996 the total population of the islands was 2,033, of whom 93.8% were Aboriginal. Most residents speak Tiwi as their first language and English as a second language.

The islands were proclaimed an Aboriginal Reserve in 1912 and ownership of the islands was ceded to the Tiwi Aboriginal Land Trust in 1980. The Tiwi Islands Local Government Area was established on 12 July 2001, when the previous community government councils in the three main communities of Nguiu (Bathurst Island), Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti (Melville Island) were amalgamated with the Wurankuwu Aboriginal Corporation to begin a new era of united and co-ordinated local government.

The Tiwi Land Council is one of four in the Northern Territory. It is a representative body with statutory authority under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. It also has responsibilities under the Native Title Act 1993 and the Pastoral Land Act 1992.

Tiwi football

Australian rules football is the most popular sport on the Tiwi Islands, and was introduced in 1941 by missionary John Pye.

The Tiwi Islands Football League Grand Final is a cultural event held in March each year that attracts up to 3,000 spectators. The Tiwi Australian Football League has 900 participants out of a community of about 2600, the highest football participation rate in Australia (35%). Tiwi footballers are renowned for exquisite one touch skills. Many of the players have a preference for participating barefoot. Many of the male players also play for the St Mary’s Football Club in Darwin, which was formed specifically to allow Tiwi armymen in the 1950s to participate in the Northern Territory Football League.

The Tiwi Islands Football Club (Tiwi Bombers) fielded a team in the Northern Territory Football League from the 2006/07 season.

Notable footballers from the Tiwi Islands include Ronnie Burns, Maurice Rioli, Dean Rioli, Cyril Rioli, Malcolm Lynch, Austin Wonaeamirri and David Kantilla.

Transport

A small airport on Nguiu provides flights to the mainland, and the Arafura Pearl ferry service operates between the islands and Cullen Bay in Darwin.

Land use and environment

The Tiwi Islands is a biodiversity hotspot, with diverse landscapes ranging from eucalypt forests and tropical savanna to rainforest. The seas and estuaries around the island are home to several species of shark and saltwater crocodiles as well as a large population of the endangered olive ridley turtle. A sea turtle conservation program was commenced on the Islands in 2007.

A century ago, the Tiwi Islands were mostly flat woodland. Sustainability of the islands is under threat from increasing deforestation and coastal degradation.

In 2001 the Australian Government embarked on a land clearing program for the islands, contracting thousands of hectares of land out to private operator Great Southern Plantation, for woodchipping. In September 2007, the Northern Territory Government investigated claims that the company had breached environmental laws. Much of the cleared land is used for cattle or monoculture plantations, which the timber company has maintained are an important source of local jobs.

The Islands are also mined for mineral sands including zircon and rutile, for export to China. Mining commenced with a 5,000 tonne shipment in 2007, followed by a further 11,000 tonnes in mid-2008.

Picture gallery

References

External links

• Tiwi Islands Local Government website. .
• Australian National Audit Office Northern Territory Land Councils and the Aboriginals Benefit Account. Audit Report No.28 2002–03. Retrieved on 2006-05-14.. (Alternate release in PDF 1162Kb)
• Nick Squires "Aborigines' island life". BBC News. Retrieved on 2006-05-14.
• Tiwi Creation Stories
• Aboriginal Art from the Tiwi Islands