Melville Island (Northern Territory)

Melville Island (Northern Territory)

Infobox Islands
name = Melville


image caption = Tiwi Islands
image size =
locator
Location map|Australia Northern Territory|lat=-11.55|long=130.933333|width=175|caption=Melville Island (Northern Territory of Australia)
map_custom = yes
native name = "Yermalner"
native name link =
nickname =
location = Timor Sea
coordinates = coord|11|33|S|130|56|E|display=inline
archipelago = Tiwi Islands
total islands =
major islands =
area = convert|5786|km2|sqmi
length =
width =
highest mount =
elevation =
country = Australia
country admin divisions title = Territory
country admin divisions = flag|Northern Territory
country admin divisions title 1 =
country admin divisions 1 =
country admin divisions title 2 =
country admin divisions 2 =
country largest city = Milikapiti
country largest city population =
population =
population as of =
density =
ethnic groups =
additional info =

Melville Island lies in the eastern Timor Sea, off the coast of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is west of the Cobourg Peninsula in Arnhem Land and north of Darwin.

The largest community/town on the island is Milikapiti.

At 2,234 mi² (5,786 km²) it is just outside the 100 largest islands in the world, but is the second biggest island in Australia, after Tasmania (and excluding the continental landmass). It is also known in the Tiwi language as Yermalner.

Together, Melville Island and Bathurst Island are known as the Tiwi Islands.

It is said that the first European to sight the island was Abel Tasman in 1644, although this is now disputed. Melville Island's most likely first European discovery was probably made by the Portuguese, as Aboriginals encountered by the explorer Phillip Parker King (son of governor of New South Wales Philip Gidley King) in 1818, were found to know some Portuguese words.Fact|date=May 2007

King named it for Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, first lord of the Admiralty, who is also commemorated by the much larger Melville Island in the Canadian arctic. Shortly after this, the British made the first attempt to settle Australia's north coast, at the short-lived Fort Dundas.

The climate is tropical.

External links

* [http://www.tiwilandcouncil.net.au/ Tiwi Land Council]
* [http://www.tiwiart.com/ Tiwi Art]
* [http://www.travelnt.com/en/explore/darwin/region/tiwi-islands.htm Tourist Information]


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