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
A Tiwi Islands Aussie Rules game.
Australian rules football is the most popular sport on the Tiwi Islands,
and was introduced in 1941 by missionary John Pye.[1]
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%).[2] 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.
Famous footballers from the Tiwi Islands include Maurice Rioli, Dean Rioli and David Kantilla.
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. 100 years ago, the Tiwi Islands were mostly flat woodland.
Sustainability of the islands is under treat from increasing deforestation and coastal
degradation.
As recently as 1998, the John Howard government set out on a land clearing program for
the islands, contracting thousands to hectares of land out to private operators, Great Southern Plantation, for woodchipping. In September 2007, the company was accused of widespread breaches and environmental abuse,
leading to a Commonwealth investigation.[3] Much of the
cleared land is used for cattle or monoculture plantations, which the timber companies claim benefit the local indigenous people
by providing jobs.[4] However the environmental abuse has
had no positive economic benefit for the Tiwi people.
Picture gallery
Picture of Tiwi Island, 2005.
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Picture of Tiwi Island church, 2005.
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Picture of Tiwi Islands carved poles, 2005.
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References
External links
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