- Tiwi Islands
The Tiwi Islands are located in
Australia 'sNorthern Territory 80 km north of Darwin at the junction of theArafura Sea andTimor 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 ofArnhem 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. [cite web| title =Tiwi Land Council: History | publisher =Tiwi Land Council | month = | year =2008 | url =http://www.tiwilandcouncil.net.au/AboutUs/About_us.htm | accessdate =2008-08-27 ] The Tiwi Islands Local Government Area was established on
12 July 2001 , when the previous community government councils in the three main communities ofNguiu (Bathurst Island),Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti (Melville Island) were amalgamated with theWurankuwu 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 theNative Title Act 1993 and thePastoral Land Act 1992 .Tiwi football
Australian rules football is the most popular sport on the Tiwi Islands, and was introduced in1941 by missionary John Pye. [cite news| last = |first = |coauthors = |title =Tiwi Islands Grand Final | work =Stateline | pages = | publisher =Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date =2006-03-24 | url =http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nt/content/2006/s1600507.htm | accessdate =2008-08-15 ]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%). [cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/northern-territory/even-a-cyclone-cant-stop-the-footy/2005/03/19/1111086063413.html|title=Even a cyclone can't stop the footy|date=2005-03-20 |accessdate=2006-05-14|work=The Sun-Herald] 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 theNorthern Territory Football League .The
Tiwi Islands Football Club (Tiwi Bombers) fielded a team in theNorthern 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 andDavid 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 andsaltwater crocodile s as well as a large population of the endangeredolive ridley turtle . A sea turtle conservation program was commenced on the Islands in 2007. [cite web| title =Sea Turtle Conservation andEducation on the Tiwi Islands | publisher =Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Commonwealth of Australia | month = | year =2007 | url =http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/publications/pubs/tiwi-turtle-conservation.pdf | accessdate =2008-08-15 ]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, theNorthern Territory Government investigated claims that the company had breached environmental laws. [cite news| last = |first = |coauthors = |title =Woodchip plantation breached environmental conditions: report | work =ABC News | pages = | publisher =Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date =2007-09-16 | url =http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/16/2034000.htm | accessdate =2008-08-15 ] 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. [cite news| last = |first = |coauthors = |title =Land clearing threatens Tiwi Islands | work =The Sydney Morning Herald | pages = | publisher =Fairfax Ltd | date =2007-09-17 | url =http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Land-clearing-threatens-Tiwi-islands/2007/09/19/1189881579181.html | accessdate =2008-08-15 ]The Islands are also mined for mineral sands including
zircon andrutile , for export to China.cite news| last =McKay |first =Rob |coauthors = |title =Matilda waltzes into dry season shipments | work =Lloyd's List Daily Commercial News | pages = | publisher =Informa Australia Pty Ltd | date =2008-08-15 | url =http://www.lloydslistdcn.com.au/informaoz/LLDCN/index.jsp?section=news&page=view_daily&art_id=1218705865111&source=newswire&WT.cg_n=newswire&WT.cg_s=Matilda-waltzes-into-dry-season-shipments | accessdate =2008-08-15 ] Mining commenced with a 5,000 tonne shipment in 2007, [cite news| last = |first = |coauthors = |title =Matilda sends first sands from Tiwi Islands
work =Lloyd's List Daily Commercial News | pages = | publisher =Informa Australia Pty Ltd | date =2007-06-21 | url =http://www.lloydslistdcn.com.au/informaoz/LLDCN/search-result/1182220458689/Matilda-sends-first-sands-from-Tiwi-Islands.html| accessdate =2008-08-15 ] followed by a further 11,000 tonnes in mid-2008.Picture gallery
References
External links
*cite web|url=http://www.tilg.nt.gov.au/|title=Tiwi Islands Local Government website|accessdat=2006-05-14
*cite web|url=http://www.anao.gov.au/WebSite.nsf/Publications/6F305A0E51814A79CA256CC2000CAB4E|work=Audit Report No.28 2002–03|date=2003-02-07 |title=Northern Territory Land Councils and the Aboriginals Benefit Account|author=Australian National Audit Office|accessdate=2006-05-14 ( [http://www.anao.gov.au/WebSite.nsf/Publications/6F305A0E51814A79CA256CC2000CAB4E/$file/Audit%20Report%2028.pdf Alternate release in PDF 1162Kb] )
*cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4686945.stm|title=Aborigines' island life|work=BBC News|date=2005-07-16 |accessdate=2006-05-14|author=Nick Squires
* [http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/regions/tiwi2.php Tiwi Creation Stories]
* [http://www.aboriginalartdirectory.com/region/tiwi-islands/ Aboriginal Art from the Tiwi Islands]
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