84-539: The Torres Strait Islands are an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait , a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea . They span an area of 48,000 km (19,000 sq mi), but their total land area is 566 km (219 sq mi). The Islands are inhabited by the indigenous Torres Strait Islanders . Lieutenant James Cook first claimed British sovereignty over
168-579: A land bridge known as the Arafura Plain which connected the present-day Australian continent with New Guinea (in a single landmass called Sahul , Meganesia , Australia-New Guinea ). This land bridge was most recently submerged by rising sea levels at the end of the last ice-age glaciation approximately 12,000 years ago, forming the Strait which now connects the Arafura and Coral seas. Many of
252-490: A habitat for numerous birds , including the Torresian imperial-pigeon , which is seen as the iconic national emblem to the islanders. These islands are also a distinct physiographic section of the larger Cape York Platform province , which in turn is part of the larger East Australian Cordillera physiographic division . The islands in this cluster lie very close to the southwestern coastline of New Guinea (the closest
336-421: A language other than English at home. 93.0% of Saibai Islanders follow Christianity . In the 2021 census , Saibai Island had a population of 340 people. Saibai Island Campus is a primary (Early Childhood-6) school at 5 School Road ( 9°22′46″S 142°37′26″E / 9.3794°S 142.6239°E / -9.3794; 142.6239 ( Tagai State College - Saibai Island Campus ) ), part of
420-539: A mayor to constitute a council consisting of 15 councillors plus a mayor. In January 2012, very high tides inundated the island's cemetery and damaged sacred gravesites. The language spoken on Saibai is Kalaw Kawaw Ya (KKY). Saibai Islanders have always traded and had good relations with neighbouring Papuans. The Saibai Islanders converted to Christianity in 1871 with the arrival of the London Missionary Society . Saibai, Boigu and Dauan society
504-602: A new boundary for the colony which encompassed all islands within a 60 nautical mile radius of the coast of Queensland. This boundary was further extended to 96 kilometres (60 mi) by the Queensland Coast Islands Act 1879 (Qld) and included the islands of Boigu , Darnley, Murray and Saibai, which lay beyond the previous 60 nautical mile limit . The new legislation enabled the Queensland Government to control and regulate bases for
588-465: A new settlement inland from Red Island Point in 1952. The new settlement was named Bamaga in honour of the leader of the migration, Bamaga Ginau. The smaller community at Red Island Point changed its name to Seisia in 1977. After gaining its independence from Australia in 1975, Papua New Guinea asserted its right to the islands and waters of the Torres Straits. In December 1978, a treaty
672-588: A process of electing island councils, intended to loosen the power of missionaries in the islands. They had become powerful by default because the government did not have resources to administer the territory. In the Western islands, where the traditional lifestyle was semi- nomadic , the council system continued to thrive. During World War II , many Torres Strait Islanders served in the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion of
756-684: A separate people from Aboriginal Australians . During World War Two , the Australian Government recruited Torres Strait Islander men to serve in the armed forces. Enlisted men from Saibai and other island communities formed the Torres Strait Light Infantry . While the Torres Strait Light Infantry were respected as soldiers, they only received one third of the pay given to white Australian servicemen. On 31 December 1943, members of
840-588: A single body to form a Torres Strait Island Regional Council, or Torres Strait Island Region , created by the Queensland Government in the interest of financial viability, and accountability and transparency of local governments throughout the State. It is administered from Thursday Island , but Thursday, Horn Island , Prince of Wales Island and many others are under the Shire of Torres council. In
924-674: A specifically created Protected Zone and nearby areas. The Protected Zone also assists in the preservation and protection of the land, sea, air and native plant and animal life of the Torres Strait. On 30 March 1985, the Saibai community elected three councillors to constitute an autonomous Saibai Council established under the Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984 . This Act conferred local government type powers and responsibilities upon Torres Strait Islander councils for
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#17327582841551008-415: A system of regular consultations with elected Islander council representatives. The new Island councils were given a degree of autonomy, including control over local police and courts. On 23 August 1937, O’Leary convened the first Inter Islander Councillors Conference at Masig. Representatives from 14 Torres Strait communities attended the conference. Namabai Atu, Mareko, Soki and Enosa represented Saibai at
1092-535: A temporary settlement in abandoned army facilities. In July 1948, the Queensland Government gazetted 44,500 acres extending from Red Island Point to Kennedy Inlet and the Cowal Creek mission, as a reserve for the use of the Torres Strait Islanders. In 1948, Mugai Elu and Tumena Sagaukaz left Saibai with their families and moved to Red Island Point. The Islanders at Muttee Heads relocated to
1176-416: A width of approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) at its narrowest point; the islands lie scattered in between, extending some 200 to 300 kilometres (120 to 190 mi) from furthest east to furthest west. The total land area of the islands comprises 566 km (219 sq mi). 21,784 hectares (53,830 acres) of land are used for agricultural purposes. The Torres Strait itself was previously part of
1260-565: Is 67 kilometres (42 mi) west of Boigu, the nearest of the Top Western islands. The islands in this cluster lie south of the Strait's midway point, and are also largely high granite hills with mounds of basaltic outcrops, formed from old peaks of the now submerged land bridge. Moa (Banks Island) is the second-largest in the Torres Strait, and Badu (Mulgrave Island) is slightly smaller and fringed with extensive mangrove swamps. Other smaller islands include Mabuiag , Pulu and further to
1344-645: Is Buwai "clan/moiety" based, there being two major Buwai (moieties), the Koei Buwai "Senior Moiety" and the Moegina Buwai "Junior Moiety"; each moiety is divided into totemic subclans, such as the Samu Augadh "Cassowary Totem" (Koei Buwai), Koedal Augadh "Crocodile Totem" (Moegina Buwai) and others. All social, food gathering, family business and traditional religion circles around clan relationships. The Saibaians have been legally acknowledged as being
1428-576: Is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands , or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Archipelagos are sometimes defined by political boundaries. For example, while they are geopolitically divided, the San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands geologically form part of a larger Gulf Archipelago. The word archipelago is derived from the Ancient Greek ἄρχι-( arkhi- , "chief") and πέλαγος ( pélagos , "sea") through
1512-470: Is a smaller island with steep hills, composed largely of granite . This island actually represents the northernmost extent of the Great Dividing Range , the extensive series of mountain ranges which runs along almost the entire eastern coastline of Australia. This peak became an island as the ocean levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The isolated and uninhabited Deliverance Island
1596-439: Is about 21.8 kilometres (13.5 mi) in length by 5.2 kilometres (3.2 mi) in width, and is flat, predominantly mangrove swamplands, with the highest point being 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in) above mean sea level , and prone to flooding during the wet season, which coincides with king tides. A bitumen airstrip allows year-round access. Saibai is part of the north-western island group of Torres Strait, which consists of
1680-607: Is less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) offshore). Saibai (one of the largest of the Torres Strait Islands) and Boigu (one of the Talbot Islands ) are low-lying islands which were formed by deposition of sediments and mud from New Guinean rivers into the Strait accumulating on decayed coral platforms. Vegetation on these islands mainly consists of mangrove swamps, and they are prone to flooding. The other main island in this group, Dauan (Mt Cornwallis),
1764-748: Is spoken by most Torres Strait Islanders and is a mixture of Standard Australian English and traditional indigenous languages. It is an English-based creole; however, each island has its own version of creole. Torres Strait Creole is also spoken on the Australian mainland , including in the Northern Peninsula Area Region and coastal communities such as Cairns , Townsville , Mackay , Rockhampton and Brisbane . Archipelago An archipelago ( / ˌ ɑːr k ə ˈ p ɛ l ə ɡ oʊ / AR -kə- PEL -ə-goh ), sometimes called an island group or island chain ,
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#17327582841551848-600: The 2016 census , the population of the Torres Strait Islands was 4,514, of whom 4,144 (91.8%) were Torres Strait Islanders . These inhabitants live on only 14 of the 274 islands. For comparison, people identifying themselves as of Torres Strait Islander descent living in the whole of Australia numbered 32,345, while those of both Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal descent numbered a further 26,767. The islands span an area of some 48,000 km (19,000 sq mi). The strait from Cape York to New Guinea has
1932-574: The 2021 census , Saibai Island had a population of 340 people. The island was formed by alluvial deposits from Papua New Guinean rivers. Saibai is a fairly large low-lying island located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the Papua New Guinea mainland. Close to the north of Saibai is the uninhabited Kauamag , separated from Saibai by a channel that is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) long, between 180 and 650 metres (590 and 2,130 ft) wide, and nearly blocked at its east end. The island
2016-699: The Australian Army . It is the only Australian Army unit to have been formed out of indigenous Australians. From 1960 to 1973, Margaret Lawrie captured some of the Torres Strait Islander people's culture by recording their recounting of local myths and legends. Her anthropological work, stored at the State Library of Queensland , has recently been recognised and registered with the Australian UNESCO Memory of
2100-623: The Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (previously under the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs ). Thursday Island functions as the administrative centre of the islands. The TSRA now represents the local communities at both Commonwealth and State levels; previously, State representation operated via a Queensland statutory authority called
2184-822: The Government of Queensland to specific Islander and Aboriginal Councils under the provisions of the Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984 and the Community Services (Aboriginal) Act 1984 ), consisting of: This shows the localities of the Torres Strait Islands in alphabetical order. (2016 Census) km Politicians who have declared support for independence, include Bob Katter and former Queensland Premier Anna Bligh , who in August 2011 wrote to Prime Minister Julia Gillard in support of Torres Strait Islands independence from Australia ; Prime Minister Gillard said in October 2011 "her government will respectfully consider
2268-668: The Queensland Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia , the latter court found that the Mer people had owned their land prior to annexation by Queensland. This ruling overturned the long-established legal doctrine of terra nullius ("no-one's land"), which held that native title over Crown land in Australia had been extinguished at the time of annexation. The ruling thus has had far-reaching significance for
2352-615: The Torres Strait in 1606. Torres had joined the expedition of Pedro Fernandes de Queirós , which sailed west from Peru across the Pacific Ocean, in search of Terra Australis . Lieutenant James Cook first claimed British sovereignty in 1770 over the eastern part of Australia at Possession Island , calling it New South Wales in the Name of His Majesty King George the Third. British administrative control did not begin until 1862 in
2436-571: The Torres Strait of Queensland , Australia. The island is situated north of the Australian mainland and south of the island of New Guinea . The island is a locality within the Torres Strait Island Region local government area. The town of Saibai is located on the north-west coast of the island. Most of the island is held under native title , apart from some government infrastructure and historic buildings. In
2520-476: The mother of pearl as decoration, started in earnest in the 1860s. By the 1890s, the islands were supplying more than 50 per cent of the world's pearl shells. The London Missionary Society (LMS) mission, led by Rev. Samuel Macfarlane, arrived on Erub (Darnley Island) on 1 July 1871. After the Anglican Church took over their mission in the 20th century, they referred to the events as " The Coming of
2604-450: The traditional owners of Saibai. They are of Melanesian origin and lived in village communities following traditional patterns of hunting, fishing, agriculture and trade for many thousands of years before contact was made with the first European, Asian and Pacific Island visitors to the region. Strong kinship and trade ties exist between the people of Saibai, Mt Cornwallis and Boigu Island , with less strong but still important ties with
Torres Strait Islands - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-402: The 1860s, beche-de-mer (sea cucumber) and pearling boats began working the reefs of Torres Strait. The first European to visit Saibai was probably a beche-de-mer operator named John Delargy, who visited the island with his South Sea Islander crew in 1869 while searching for a lost whaleboat. Delargy established friendly relations with the people of Saibai, trading goods and sharing a feast with
2772-559: The Eastern Torres Language Meriam Mir . Yumplatok (also known as Torres Strait Creole and Broken) is a contemporary Torres Strait Island language spoken in the Torres Strait . The contact with missionaries, traders and other English speakers since the 19th century led to the development of a pidgin language . It developed more fully as a creole language , with its own distinctive sound system, grammar, vocabulary, usage and meaning. Torres Strait Creole
2856-713: The Germans would win World War One and reward the people of Saibai with a cargo of gifts which would be brought to the island by steamer. After Britain and her allies defeated Germany in 1918, the Wislin movement died away. During the 1920s and 1930s racial legislation was strictly applied to Torres Strait Islanders enabling the government to remove Islanders to reserves and mission across Queensland. A small number of documented removals from Saibai occurred between 1909 and 1941; 2 people were removed to Palm Island and 1 person
2940-633: The Island Coordinating Council (ICC). The Torres Strait Island Region local government area superseded the ICC in March 2008. In March 2008, fifteen Torres Strait Islander Councils were amalgamated into a single body to form a Torres Strait Island Regional Council, or Torres Strait Island Region , created by the Queensland Government in the interest of financial viability, and accountability and transparency of local Governments throughout
3024-607: The Islanders and given land by the local chiefs. However, increased contact with the outside world brought new diseases to the islands and, during the 1870s, a measles epidemic significantly reduced the population of Saibai. In 1872, the Queensland Government sought to extend its jurisdiction and requested the support of the British Government. Letters Patent were issued by the British government in 1872 creating
3108-979: The Islanders. Pearling bases were never established on Saibai but in the 1870s European pearl and beche-de-mer operators began recruiting men from Saibai to work on their luggers. Torres Strait Islanders refer to the arrival of London Missionary Society (LMS) missionaries at Erub in July 1871 as "the Coming of the Light". After visiting Darnley Island and Tudu , the LMS missionaries led by Rev. Samuel McFarlane and Reverend A.W. Murray travelled to Mt Cornwallis Island (now Dauan Island ) and Saibai islands. Two South Sea Islander lay pastors named Josaia and Sivene were appointed to work as missionary teachers at Mt Cornwallis and Saibai. LMS missionaries revisited Mt Cornwallis and Saibai in 1872 and found that Josaia and Sivene had been accepted by
3192-652: The Italaig of the south, and the Muwalaig of the north. Many Kauraraig also live there, having been forcibly moved there in 1922–1923. Badu and Mabuiag are the Maluigal Deep Sea People . These islands, also known as the Thursday Island group, lie closest to Cape York Peninsula, and their topography and geological history is very similar. Muralag (Prince of Wales Island) is the largest of
3276-775: The Italian arcipelago . In antiquity , "Archipelago" (from Medieval Greek * ἀρχιπέλαγος and Latin archipelagus ) was the proper name for the Aegean Sea . Later, usage shifted to refer to the Aegean Islands (since the sea has a large number of islands). Archipelagos may be found isolated in large amounts of water or neighbouring a large land mass. For example, Scotland has more than 700 islands surrounding its mainland, which form an archipelago. Archipelagos are often volcanic, forming along island arcs generated by subduction zones or hotspots , but may also be
3360-492: The Light ", and established an annual celebration on 1 July. In 1872, the boundary of Queensland was extended to include Thursday Island and other islands in Torres Strait within 60 miles of the Queensland coast. In June 1875, a measles epidemic killed about 25% of the population, with some islands suffering losses of up to 80%, as the islanders had no natural immunity to European diseases. In 1879, Queensland annexed
3444-483: The Marind-Anim but sporadic raids on Saibai, Boigu and Mt Cornwallis islands and Papua continued well into the 1920s. The English scientist and anthropologist Alfred Cort Haddon first visited the Torres Straits in 1888. Haddon originally came to the Torres Straits to study the coral reefs but soon became fascinated by the traditional culture and way of life of the Torres Strait Islander people. Haddon returned to
Torres Strait Islands - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-610: The New Guinea coast. In 1898–1899, the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition led by Alfred Cort Haddon visited the Torres Strait Islands. Among its members was W. H. R. Rivers , who later gained notability for his work in psychology and treating officers in the Great War. They collected and took about 2000 cultural artefacts, ostensibly to save them from destruction by missionaries. But all of
3612-728: The Saibai community forum. In 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission recommended that the 15 Torres Strait Island councils be abolished and the Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) be established in their place. In elections conducted under the Local Government Act 1993 on 15 March 2008, members of the 15 communities comprising the TSIRC local government area each voted for a local councillor and
3696-412: The Saibai, Dauan and Boigu islands. Saibai lies approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) off the coast of New Guinea and is approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) long and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) wide. The island is an average of 1 m above sea level and consists largely of mangrove fringe, flood plain and brackish swamps. The island is vulnerable to flooding and rising sea levels , particularly during
3780-530: The State. It is administered from Thursday Island , but Thursday, Horn Island , Prince of Wales Island and many others are under the Shire of Torres council. At the local level, there are two authorities. One is the Shire of Torres , which governs several islands and portions of Cape York Peninsula and operates as a Queensland local government area . The other is the Torres Strait Island Region , created in 2008, which embodies 15 former island councils. These former councils had been previously relinquished by
3864-473: The Strait's islands, and forms the centre of this closely grouped cluster. The much smaller Waiben Thursday Island is the region's administrative centre and most heavily populated. Several of these islands have permanent freshwater springs, and some were also mined for gold in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Because of their proximity to the Australian mainland, they have also been centres of pearling and fishing industries. Nurupai Horn Island holds
3948-419: The Torres Strait Islands, marked by the appointment of John Jardine, police magistrate at Rockhampton , as Government Resident in the Torres Straits. He originally established a small settlement on Albany Island , but on 1 August 1864 he settled at Somerset Island. Although the Torres Strait Islanders had long dived for pearl shells themselves, the international industry of pearl and trochus shells, for using
4032-531: The Torres Strait Light Infantry went on strike calling for equal pay and equal rights. The Australian Government agreed to increase their pay to two-thirds the level received by white servicemen. Full back pay was offered in compensation to the Torres Strait servicemen by the Australian Government in the 1980s. At the end of World War Two, the Queensland Government introduced measures to compensate Torres Strait Islanders for their contribution to
4116-591: The Torres Strait's request for self-government". Other figures who have supported independence include Australian Indigenous rights campaigner Eddie Mabo . Torres Strait Islander peoples, the indigenous peoples of the islands, are predominantly Melanesians, culturally most akin to the coastal peoples of Papua New Guinea . Thus, they are regarded as being distinct from Aboriginal peoples of Australia and are generally referred to separately, despite ongoing historical trade and inter-marriage with mainland Aboriginal people. There are also two Torres Strait Islander communities on
4200-674: The Torres Strait. Over time, the Queensland Government began to exert more influence on the lives of Torres Strait Islander people. John Douglas , the government Resident at Thursday Island , initially shielded Torres Strait Islanders from the controlling provisions of the Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 . After Douglas died in 1904, the administration that followed began to assert control over Torres Strait Islander labour and savings accounts and imposed restrictions on Islander movement to and from
4284-488: The Torres Straits in 1898 with the Cambridge University anthropological expedition. The Cambridge expedition spent 7 months in the Torres Straits including a stay at Saibai, documenting the Torres Strait Islander people and their culture. The expedition collected artefacts, took down genealogies, re-created ceremonies and used wax cylinders and early movie cameras to make the first sound recordings and films in
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#17327582841554368-607: The World Programme . The proximity of the islands to Papua New Guinea became an issue when the territory started moving to gain independence from Australia, which it gained in 1975. The Papua New Guinea government objected to the position of the border close to the New Guinean mainland, and the subsequent complete control that Australia exercised over the waters of the strait. The Torres Strait Islanders opposed being separated from Australia and insisted on no change to
4452-531: The artefacts collected by Samuel Macfarlane were sold in London, mostly to European museums. In 1904, the peoples of the Torres Strait Islands were made subject to the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 , which gave draconian powers to the Queensland government in placing legal restrictions on natives and on their land use. In 1899, John Douglas had initiated
4536-519: The beche-de-mer and pearling industries, which previously had operated outside its jurisdiction. From the late 1870s onwards, the coastal communities of Papua and the islands of Saibai, Boigu and Mt Cornwallis were raided by warriors of the Marind-Anim or Tugeri people from Dutch-controlled West Papua . A retaliatory expedition led by British officials based in Daru in 1896 diminished the threat of
4620-403: The border. The Australian Federal government wished to cede the northern islands to appease Papua New Guinea, but were opposed by the Queensland government and Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen . An agreement was struck in 1978 whereby the islands and their inhabitants remained Australian, but the maritime boundary between Australia and Papua New Guinea was defined as running through
4704-466: The centre of the strait. In practice the two countries co-operate closely in the management of the strait's resources. In 1982, Eddie Mabo and four other Torres Strait Islander people from Mer (Murray Island) started legal proceedings to establish their traditional land ownership. Because Mabo was the first-named plaintiff, it became known as the Mabo Case . In 1992, after ten years of hearings before
4788-670: The coast of mainland New Guinea belong to the Western Province of Papua New Guinea , most importantly Daru Island with the provincial capital, Daru . Only 17 of the islands are inhabited. The Torres Strait Islands' population was recorded at 4,514 in the 2016 Australian census , with 91.8% of these identifying as Indigenous Torres Strait Island peoples . Although counted as Indigenous Australians , Torres Strait Islander peoples, being predominantly Melanesian , are ethnically and culturally different from Aboriginal Australians . The Spanish Explorer Luís Vaez de Torres sailed
4872-481: The conference. After lengthy discussions, unpopular bylaws (including the evening curfews) were cancelled and a new code of local representation was agreed upon. In 1939, the Queensland Government passed the Torres Strait Islander Act 1939 , which incorporated many of the recommendations discussed at the conference. A key section of the new act officially recognised Torres Strait Islanders as
4956-583: The east Naghir (correct form Nagi , aka Mount Ernest Island). Culturally this was the most complex part of Torres Strait, containing three of the four groupings/dialects of the Western-central Islanders, Nagi being culturally/linguistically a Central Island (Kulkalaig territory, specifically part of Waraber tribal waters), Moa is part of the Muwalaig-Italaig-Kaiwalaig [Kauraraig/Kaurareg] tribal areas, with two groups,
5040-406: The eastern part of Australia at Possession Island in 1770, but British administrative control only began in the Torres Strait Islands in 1862. The islands are now mostly part of Queensland , a constituent State of the Commonwealth of Australia , but are administered by the Torres Strait Regional Authority , a statutory authority of the Australian federal government . A few islands very close to
5124-459: The first time. The council area, previously an Aboriginal reserve held by the Queensland Government, was transferred on 21 October 1985 to the trusteeship of the council under a Deed of Grant in Trust. In March 2000, the elections for the Saibai Council were conducted on a clan basis. Seven councillors were elected to represent each of the 7 traditional clans. Each clan elected its own councillor. This system of representation has been maintained for
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#17327582841555208-536: The five major island groups and the navigational importance of stars to the seafaring people of the Torres Strait". The five points of the star on the flag represent the following regions (which do not match administrative regions): A celebration known as Flag Day takes place on 29 May each year, the anniversary of the day the flag was officially presented to the people of the Torres Strait. The Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), an Australian Commonwealth statutory authority created in 1994, exercises governance over
5292-436: The islands include dugongs (an endangered species of sea mammal widely found throughout the Indian Ocean and tropical Western Pacific, including Papua-New Guinean and Australian waters), as well as green , ridley , hawksbill and flatback sea turtles. The Torres Strait Islands may be grouped into five distinct clusters, which exhibit differences of geology and formation as well as location. The Torres Strait provides
5376-422: The islands. The TSRA has an elected board comprising 20 representatives from the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal communities resident in the Torres Strait region. One representative per established local community wins election to the board under the Queensland Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984 and Division 5 of the ATSIC Act 1989 . The TSRA itself falls under the portfolio responsibilities of
5460-399: The land claims of both Torres Strait Islanders and Australian Aboriginal people. Its effects are still being felt in the 21st century, as indigenous communities establish claims to their traditional lands under the Native Title Act of 1993 . On 1 July 1994, the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) was created. In March 2008, fifteen Torres Strait Islander Councils were amalgamated into
5544-439: The lifting of evening curfews, the removal of the permit system for inter-island travel and the recognition of Islanders' right to recruit their own boat crews. Three men were jailed on Saibai in 1936 by the authorities after strike protests occurred on the island. The strike produced a number of significant reforms and innovations. Unpopular local Protector J D McLean was removed and replaced by Cornelius O’Leary who established
5628-449: The mainland. In November 1912, an area of 35,000 acres of land on Saibai was officially gazetted as an Aboriginal reserve by the Queensland Government. Many other Torres Strait Islands were gazetted as Aboriginal reserves at the same time. Shortages of food on Saibai were mentioned in a government report dating from 1912. Between 1914 and 1918, a cargo cult known as "German Wislin" emerged on Saibai. The Wislin believers predicted that
5712-838: The middle of Torres Strait, consisting of many small sandy cays surrounded by coral reefs , similar to those found in the nearby Great Barrier Reef . The more northerly islands in this group however, such as Gerbar (Two Brothers) and Iama (Yam Island) , are high basaltic outcrops, not cays. Nagi is a culturo-linguistic part of this group, and also has high basaltic outcropping. The low-lying inhabited coral cays, such as Poruma (Coconut Island) , Warraber Island and Masig (Yorke Island) are mostly less than 2 to 3 kilometres (1.2–1.9 miles) long, and no wider than 800 metres (2,600 feet). Several have had problems with saltwater intrusion . The islands of this group (principally Mer (Murray Island) , Dauar and Waier, with Erub Island and Stephen Island (Ugar) further north) are formed differently from
5796-436: The nearby coast of the mainland, Bamaga and Seisia . According to the Torres Strait Treaty, residents of Papua New Guinea are permitted to visit the Torres Strait Islands for traditional purposes. There are three languages spoken on the islands. The two indigenous languages are the Western-Central Torres Strait Language (called by various names, including Kalaw Lagaw Ya, Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Kulkalgau Ya and Kaiwaligau Ya), and
5880-449: The neighbouring Papuan communities. Only a small proportion of the island is inhabited. In the 2016 census , Saibai Island had a population of 465 people. 84.0% of people were born in Australia. Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people made up 85.6% of the population, with 70% of the population claiming Torres Strait Islander ancestry. The most common response for religion was Anglican at 44.9%. 79.5% of households in Saibai spoke
5964-402: The other Torres Strait Islands. They were classified as part of the British colony of Queensland and, after 1901, of the Australian state of Queensland. But some of them lie just off the coast of New Guinea. In 1885, John Douglas was appointed as Government Resident Magistrate residing on Thursday Island. He made periodic tours of all the islands and was known to all the natives. He established
6048-480: The region's airport, and as a result is something of an entrepôt with inhabitants drawn from many other communities. Kiriri (Hammond Island) is the other permanently settled island of this group; Tuined (Possession Island) is noted for Lt. James Cook's landing there in 1770. Moa in the Near Western group is culturally and linguistically speaking part of this group. This cluster is more widely distributed in
6132-572: The rest. They are volcanic in origin, the peaks of volcanoes which were active in Pleistocene times. Consequently, their hillsides have rich and fertile red volcanic soils, and are thickly vegetated. The easternmost of these are less than 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the northern extension of the Great Barrier Reef. The national flag features a white Dhari (headdress) and, underneath, a white five-pointed star, symbolising "peace,
6216-465: The result of erosion , deposition , and land elevation . Depending on their geological origin, islands forming archipelagos can be referred to as oceanic islands , continental fragments , or continental islands . Oceanic islands are mainly of volcanic origin, and widely separated from any adjacent continent. The Hawaiian Islands and Galapagos Islands in the Pacific , and Mascarene Islands in
6300-670: The shelf. The islands of the Inside Passage off the coast of British Columbia and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are examples. Artificial archipelagos have been created in various countries for different purposes. Palm Islands and The World Islands off Dubai were or are being created for leisure and tourism purposes. Marker Wadden in the Netherlands is being built as a conservation area for birds and other wildlife. The largest archipelago in
6384-432: The south Indian Ocean are examples. Continental fragments correspond to land masses that have separated from a continental mass due to tectonic displacement. The Farallon Islands off the coast of California are an example. Sets of islands formed close to the coast of a continent are considered continental archipelagos when they form part of the same continental shelf, when those islands are above-water extensions of
6468-551: The system under which the hereditary native chief of each island was installed as chief magistrate, supporting the local traditional system. He also established Native Police, but the only island on which the Native Police were armed was Saibai . There they were provided with Snider carbines to repel the attacks of the Marind-anim (formerly known as Tugeri), the headhunters who raided the islands from their territory on
6552-412: The war effort and to populate the north as a defence against foreign invasion. After the war, enlisted Torres Strait Islander men from Saibai, Boigu and Mt Cornwallis islands also discussed the possibility of developing a community on the mainland. Saibai elder, Bamaga Ginau, supported the proposal. In 1947, king tides caused serious damage to properties and gardens across Saibai. The village of Saibai
6636-432: The western Torres Strait Islands are the remaining peaks of this land bridge which were not completely submerged when the ocean levels rose. The islands and their surrounding waters and reefs provide a highly diverse set of land and marine ecosystems , with niches for many rare or unique species. Saltwater crocodiles inhabit the islands along with neighbouring areas of Queensland and Papua New Guinea . Marine animals of
6720-437: The wet season when around 2 m of water regularly falls onto the island. During the dry season however, the island experiences drought-like conditions. The main village of Saibai, in the northwest, has a population of 171. The second village, Churum [Surum White Sand ], in the southwest, numbers 128. In 1606, Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through Torres Strait islands, navigating them, along New Guinea's southern coast. In
6804-587: The world by number of islands is the Archipelago Sea , which is part of Finland . There are approximately 40,000 islands, mostly uninhabited. The largest archipelagic state in the world by area, and by population, is Indonesia . Saibai Island Download coordinates as: Saibai Island , commonly called Saibai ( Kala Lagaw Ya : Saybay, Saibai, Saibe ), is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago , located in
6888-541: Was signed by the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments that described the boundaries between the 2 countries and the use of the sea area by both parties. The Torres Strait Treaty , which operated from February 1985, contains special provision for free movement (without passports or visas) between both countries. There is constant traffic throughout the year between Saibai and Papua New Guinea. Free movement between communities applies to traditional activities, such as fishing, trading and family gatherings, which occur in
6972-433: Was taken to Yarrabah . In 1936, around 70% of the Torres Strait Islander workforce went on strike in the first organised challenge against government authority made by Torres Strait Islanders. The nine-month strike was an expression of Islanders' anger and resentment at increasing government control of their livelihoods. The strike was a protest against government interference in wages, trade and commerce and also called for
7056-549: Was totally flooded by 10 metres (33 ft) of water. Erosion and a lack of freshwater were concerns. Bamaga Ginau called a meeting regarding the future of Saibai and after much discussion a number of families made the decision to leave Saibai and move to the Cape York Peninsula . The first families left Saibai on the pearl luggers Millard and Macoy and arrived at Muttee Heads in June 1947, where they established
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