Melville Island (Australia)

Melville Island is an island in the eastern Timor Sea. It is part of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located off the coast of Arnhem Land and north of Darwin. The island is called Yermalner in the native Tiwi language. Melville is about  in size. It is the second-largest island in Australia, after Tasmania.

The name Melville is for Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, first lord of the Admiralty. The much larger Melville Island in northern Canada was also named after him.

Melville Island and nearby Bathurst Island are together called the Tiwi Islands. The Tiwi are the indigenous people that live on the islands. Their creation stories suggest that Indigenous Australians have lived on the Tiwi Islands for at least 7,000 years.

The largest community on the island is Milikapiti. About 559 people live in Milikapiti. The second village is Pirlangimpi, 27 kilometres west of Milipakpiti. About 440 people live here. About 30 more people live in five family outstations.

 References 


 Other websites 
Tiwi Islands Shire Council 
Tiwi Land Council 
Tiwi Art
Tourist Information 

Category:Islands of Australia
Category:Geography of the Northern Territory
Category:Indigenous Australian communities