Tiwi Islands

Melville and Bathurst Islands are collectively known as the Tiwi Islands, the home of the Tiwi people. The Tiwi People have occupied the islands since at least the last ice age when the islands were separated from the mainland approximately 11,000 years ago. After years of isolation, the Tiwi have a unique language and culture, including dance, song and art.

The Tiwi Islands are home to three main communities. The largest, Wurrumiyanga, is located on Bathurst Island, while the smaller communities of Milikapiti and Pirlangimpi are situated on Melville Island. Additionally, there are several smaller communities and outstations, including Wurankuwu, Paru, Pickataramoor, Taracumbi, Yimpinari (Conder Point), Takampirmili, Pitjimirra, and Four Mile.

The islands are 8,320 square kilometres of eucalypt, paperbark and monsoon vine forest, coastal wetlands, secluded waterfalls and deserted beaches. An extensive and magnificent array of barely touched mangrove-lined river and creek systems, sand flats and coastal reefs, all abundant with marine life, means the Islands are an unspoiled paradise. In addition to its natural beauty and marine life, which also includes crocodiles, dolphins, sea turtles and dugongs, the Islands are also home to a stunning array of bird and animal life, such as buffalo, wallabies, bandicoots, flying fox, kingfishers, jabiru, parrots, eagles, falcons and hawks plus countless varieties of water and wading birds. The islands host 19 threatened plant species and 30 threatened animal species, as well as healthy populations of small mammals that have experienced significant declines on the Australian mainland.

The Tiwi College is located at Pickataramoor in the southern part of Melville Island, about 60 kilometres away from the closest community. The College is owned and operated by the Tiwi people through the Tiwi Education Board, representing all Tiwi families and communities. Thus Tiwi College is isolated from the rest of the communities of the islands. The school teachers pick students up each week – no easy task during "the wet", when monsoon troughs deluge the islands with rain and turn some of our dirt roads into shallow creeks! However, they have the advantage of having the students on site and can be involved in a 24-hour learning environment, uninterrupted to help them be "work ready".

Tiwi Islands is also well known as the home of the Tiwi Islands Football League and many famous South Australian National Football League, Australian Football League and West Australian Football League players have come from Melville and Bathurst Islands. A major event in the Tiwi Islands calendar is the Tiwi Islands Football League Grand Final, held in early August each year.