Tiwi Islands

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Landsat 7 imagery of the Tiwi Islands.

The Tiwi Islands are located in Australia's Northern Territory 80 km north of Darwin in the Arafura Sea. They are comprised 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 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.

[edit] 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.