Loading ...Bathurst Island
Bathurst Island Northern Territory Australia
Bathurst Island lies 80 kilometres to the north of Darwin in the Arafura Sea and has been the home of the Tiwi Islanders for thousands of years. Nguiu is the largest of several Aboriginal communities operating on the island. All visitors must have a permit from the Tiwi Land Council. Bathurst Island was first sighted by Europeans in 1644, when Abel Tasman passed on his way from Batavia. In 1910 a church minister persuaded the South Australian government to give him 10,000 acres of land on Bathurst Island to build a mission for the Tiwi Islanders. The mission achieved the dubious distinction of being the first place in Australia to experience foreign invasion when, on 19 February 1942, Japanese bombers, on their way to Darwin, bombed Nguiu. In 1978 the ownership of Bathurst Island was formally handed back to the Tiwi people and today the island is run by the Tiwi Land Council. It is said that the word ‘Tiwi’ means ‘people, the people or, perhaps, the chosen people. No visit to Bathurst Island would be complete without a tour of its art and craft galleries. The Tiwi people’s distinctive style is popular with collectors, who snap up bark paintings, textiles, pottery and wood carvings. The exciting annual footy grand final day (which is accompanied by an art sale) in Nguiu is an event not to be missed.
