Lyla Lindsey
The Torres Strait Islands are an archipelago of around 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia from the island of New Guinea. The islands are inhabited by the indigenous Torres Strait Islanders, who are predominantly Melanesians with some mixture of Polynesians and Southeast Asians. With a unique culture and long-standing history with the islands and nearby coastlines, the Torres Strait Islanders are distinct from the Aboriginal peoples of mainland Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of islands | At least 274, with some sources stating "over 200" or "almost 300" |
| Number of inhabited islands | 17 |
| Location | Between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea |
| Area | 48,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi) of water, with a total land area of 566 km2 (219 sq mi) |
| Administration | Governed by the Shire of Torres and the Torres Strait Island Region, a statutory authority of the Australian federal government |
| Population | 4,124 as of 2021 |
| Indigenous languages | Western-Central Torres Strait Language (with various names) and Eastern Torres Language Meriam Mir |
| Common language | Torres Strait Creole, an English-based creole |
| Indigenous peoples | Predominantly Melanesians, with some mixture of Polynesians and Southeast Asians |
| Main sources of income | Pearl shelling, pearl culture, fishing, and tourism |
| Sovereignty | British sovereignty was first claimed in 1770, and British administrative control began in 1862. The islands are now mostly part of Queensland, Australia |
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What You'll Learn
- There are almost 300 Torres Strait Islands, 17 of which are inhabited
- Torres Strait Islanders have a distinct culture with Australian, Papuan and Austronesian elements
- The Torres Strait Treaty, signed in 1985, defines sovereignty and maritime boundaries between Australia and Papua New Guinea
- The Torres Strait Islands are threatened by rising sea levels, with some islands rising less than one metre above sea level
- Torres Strait Islanders gained Australian citizenship in 1967
There are almost 300 Torres Strait Islands, 17 of which are inhabited
The Torres Strait Islands are an archipelago of almost 300 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. The strait is named after the Spanish navigator Luís Vaz de Torres, who sailed through it in 1606. The islands are 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.
The Torres Strait Islander peoples, the indigenous peoples of the islands, are predominantly Melanesians, culturally most akin to the coastal peoples of Papua New Guinea. They are regarded as distinct from Aboriginal peoples of Australia and are generally referred to separately, despite ongoing historical trade and intermarriage with mainland Aboriginal people. The Torres Strait Islander communities have a unique culture and long-standing history with the islands and nearby coastlines. Their maritime-based trade and interactions with the Papuans and Australian Aboriginal communities have resulted in a steady cultural diffusion among the three societal groups, dating back thousands of years.
Torres Strait Islanders have a distinct culture that varies slightly within each island or community. The culture is complex, with some Australian, Papuan, and Austronesian elements (also reflected in the languages spoken). Like Aboriginal people of mainland Australia, Torres Strait Islanders are traditionally agriculturalists, and food is supplemented through hunting and gathering. Cooking and hunting are synonymous with Torres Strait culture and are taught from a young age.
Of the almost 300 islands in the Torres Strait, only 17 are inhabited. The total land area of the islands is 566 square kilometres (219 square miles), and they span an area of 48,000 square kilometres (19,000 square miles). The islands are organised into four geomorphological clusters: Top Western (low and alluvial, near New Guinea); Western (high, rocky, and barren, the largest being Prince of Wales Island); Central (coral); and Eastern (volcanic, with dense vegetation).
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Torres Strait Islanders have a distinct culture with Australian, Papuan and Austronesian elements
The Torres Strait Islands are an archipelago of at least 274 small islands, with 133 islands inhabited by humans. The islands are situated in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. The Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of these islands.
Torres Strait Islanders have a distinct culture with Australian, Papuan, and Austronesian elements. The core of their island culture is Papuan, and they are traditionally a seafaring nation. The Islanders have long been agriculturalists, engaging in hunting and gathering. Their diet includes dugong, turtles, crayfish, crabs, shellfish, reef fish, and wild fruits and vegetables. They have a strong artistic culture, particularly in sculpture, printmaking, and mask-making.
The Islanders' seafaring nature has resulted in trade and interactions with explorers from other parts of the world, including Papuans and Australian Aboriginal communities, influencing their lifestyle and culture. They have a unique way of travelling on water, using a double outrigger, which is different from the single outriggers used by mainland Aboriginal people. The double outrigger was likely introduced from Papuan communities and later modified in design and construction.
Torres Strait Islanders also have a rich musical heritage, with instruments such as rattles (kulup) made from beans or nuts, flutes, pan pipes, and island drums. Their songs were traditionally very short, and they also incorporated imported music from other cultures, creating a distinctive new island music.
The Torres Strait Islanders have a long history of trade and interactions with the Papuans and Australian Aboriginal communities, resulting in a steady cultural diffusion among the three societal groups. Their culture shares similarities with Australian Aboriginal and Papuan cultures, including an oral tradition of storytelling through song, dance, and ceremonial performance. The sea, sky, and land feature strongly in their stories and art due to their close association with the sea.
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The Torres Strait Treaty, signed in 1985, defines sovereignty and maritime boundaries between Australia and Papua New Guinea
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. The islands are inhabited by the indigenous Torres Strait Islanders, who are predominantly Melanesians. The islands were first inhabited at least 2,500 years ago and are culturally most akin to the coastal peoples of Papua New Guinea.
The Torres Strait Treaty, signed in February 1985, defines sovereignty and maritime boundaries in the area between Australia and Papua New Guinea. The treaty established a Protected Zone in the Torres Strait, which is recognised by both nations as requiring special attention to preserve the traditional way of life of the Torres Strait Islanders and the coastal people of Papua New Guinea. The Protected Zone also serves to protect the land, sea, air, and native plant and animal life of the region.
The treaty allows for free movement (without passports or visas) between Australia and Papua New Guinea for traditional activities. Traditional inhabitants from 13 Papua New Guinea villages have free movement privileges under the treaty, and they can make traditional visits to specified Australian villages. Similarly, inhabitants from 15 Australian villages can make traditional visits to the PNG villages.
The Torres Strait Treaty also provides for commercial fishing by both Australia and Papua New Guinea and includes arrangements for the sharing of the commercial catch. It allows both countries to collaborate in licensing and policing, as well as in the preservation, protection, and management of fisheries.
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The Torres Strait Islands are threatened by rising sea levels, with some islands rising less than one metre above sea level
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. The Torres Strait Islanders are one of Australia's two distinct indigenous cultural groups, the other being the Aboriginal people. About 4,000 Islanders live on the 18 habitable islands, and 42,000 members of the Islander community live outside the area, mostly in the north of Queensland.
The Torres Strait Islands are among the most vulnerable regions to climate change in Australia. Sea levels continue to rise, making tides more destructive, coastal erosion faster, and droughts more severe. Buildings, roads, and even cemeteries have been washed away. The Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) reports that sea levels in the region are rising by 0.2 inches each year, double the worldwide average. This is due to a combination of factors, including the warming of the oceans, causing thermal expansion of the water, and the melting of land-based ice sheets and glaciers.
The rising sea levels are having significant impacts on the islands and communities of the Torres Strait, with increased flooding, erosion, and coastal inundation affecting infrastructure, homes, and important cultural sites. The sea level rise is also affecting the freshwater resources of the islands, with saltwater intrusion into aquifers and wells making it more difficult for island communities to access clean drinking water.
The combination of storm surges and sea level rise can lead to significant coastal inundation, damaging infrastructure and homes and posing a risk to the safety and livelihoods of island communities. Mitigation measures such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow the rate of climate change and adaptation measures are needed to address the risks posed by increased storm surges in the Torres Strait.
The impacts of climate change disproportionately affect Torres Strait Islanders, who rely heavily on the region's natural resources for their livelihoods and cultural practices. The loss of coastal infrastructure due to sea-level rise and storm surges is one of the most significant impacts of climate change on the socio-economic well-being of the region.
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Torres Strait Islanders gained Australian citizenship in 1967
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. The islands span an area of 48,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi), but their total land area is 566 km2 (219 sq mi). The islands are inhabited by the indigenous Torres Strait Islanders, who are predominantly Melanesians, culturally akin to the coastal peoples of Papua New Guinea.
The islands were first inhabited by humans at least 2,500 years ago and were first navigated by Europeans in 1605-1606 by Spanish navigator Luís Vaz de Torres. In 1770, Lieutenant James Cook claimed British sovereignty over the eastern part of Australia at Possession Island, and British administrative control of the islands began in 1862. The islands were annexed by Queensland in 1879, and the inhabitants were deprived of their landowning rights.
The 1967 referendum also gave the Commonwealth parliament power to make "special laws" with respect to Aboriginal People living in a state. The race power gained in the referendum has been used in several other pieces of significant Federal legislation, such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Queensland Discriminatory Laws) Act 1975, which aimed to eliminate racial discrimination against Aboriginal people.
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Frequently asked questions
There are over 200 Torres Strait Islands, with some sources stating there are almost 300 islands. However, only 17 of these are inhabited.
The Torres Strait Islands are located in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea.
Torres Strait Islanders, the indigenous people of the islands, are predominantly Melanesians, with some mixture of Polynesians and Southeast Asians. They are distinct from Aboriginal peoples of Australia.
The islands have been inhabited by humans for at least 2,500 years and were first recorded by Europeans in 1605-1606 when Spanish navigator Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through the strait. The islands were annexed by Queensland in 1879, and the inhabitants were deprived of their landowning rights. They gained Australian citizenship in 1967.
