Republic of the Tiwi Islands

The **Republic of the Tiwi Islands** was a self-proclaimed nation located on the Tiwi Islands of Australia. It was founded in 1844 by a group of convicts from Britain, who were on the way to the penal colony of New South Wales.

## History

### Early years

On June 24, 1844, a group of about 150 prisoners, mainly of Welsh and Cornish origin, aboard British ships in the Timor Sea, began a mutiny against their captors. They were led by a Welsh criminal named Rowan Pritchard, from Brecknockshire. The mutineers took control of the ships the following day. They sailed into the Dundas Strait on July 2, and dropped off the British sailors on the southern part of the Cobourg Peninsula, avoiding the British settlement of Port Essington.

The mutineers then sailed west to find Melville Island, and sailed along the shore up to the former British settlement of Fort Dundas, which had been abandoned for sixteen years by that time. On July 3, the mutineers landed near Fort Dundas, and re-established the settlement. Four days later, on July 7, the mutineers declared the Republic of the Tiwi Islands, with Rowan Pritchard being named the first President.

The first contact with the natives of the island was made in August of 1844, when a group of Tiwi people ambushed and killed two explorers from Fort Dundas. By 1847, the number of inhabitants of the settlement reached as low as 60 people, due to disease and attacks from the native people. However, in 1848 and 1849, large waves of escaped convicts from Northern Australia would reach Fort Dundas, bolstering the population of the town. In addition, in 1849, the Republic would come to a friendly agreement with the natives of the island, the exact terms of which are not known.

In July of 1849, the capital of the Republic, Fort Dundas, would be renamed to New Carmarthen, after the town that many of the Welsh settlers had lived in before being relocated to Australia. By 1850, the population of New Carmarthen would be about 250 people. In 1853, the Republic would establish a settlement on Bathurst Island, called Russeltown.

In the years from 1853 to 1858, New Carmarthen would thrive, with the population growing up to 600 people, and numerous buildings being constructed, including a church, school, and small fort. Also around this time, some of the settlers would marry native women, due to the lack of women in New Carmarthen.

On February 1, 1857, Rowan Pritchard would be mistakenly shot while hunting east of New Carmarthen. He would pass away due to the injuries the following day. Oscar Davis, one of the original Welsh settlers, would be elected the second president.

### First British invasion

In March of 1857, an inhabitant of New Carmarthen named Henry Robiquet would be granted permission by the President to sail to Manila, to acquire weaponry and other valuable resources for New Carmarthen. Oscar Davis himself would create the flag of the Republic, for this purpose. Henry Robiquet would sail up to Manila, with little trouble. In Manila, he purchased the guns and resources that were needed. However, on the way back to the Tiwi Islands, Henry Robiquet decided to attack a British fort in Northern Australia, stealing guns and a boat. Upon returning to New Carmarthen, Henry Robiquet was congratulated on his voyage. However, his actions also attracted the attention of the British, who would prepare to attack the Tiwi Islands.

Four British ships carrying about 1,500 men under the British admiral Elijah Nelson would arrive at New Carmarthen on April 17, 1858. They demanded that the inhabitants of the town submit to British rule, or be attacked. Oscar Davis refused to submit to the British, and opened fire on the British ships using the small amount of guns they had. However, the British troops were still able to land, and by the end of the day, they had took control over the city and had taken Oscar Davis captive and sent him to Sydney. Remaining resistance to the British occupation fled to Russeltown.

Elijah Nelson would send a letter to William Denison, the governor of New South Wales at the time, saying that the resistance in the islands had been destroyed and that the leader of the rebels had been captured, and therefore Nelson asked for permission to leave the islands. This request was granted by Denison and in January of 1859, the British would leave the Tiwi Islands.

### 1859 onwards

Following the British occupation, the Republic would reestablish itself, with Ewan Lawrence, one of the leaders of the resistance during the occupation, being elected President. In July of 1859, to commemorate the Republic's 15th anniversary, New Carmarthen was renamed to Pritchard to honor the first president of the Republic.

## Legacy

There have been numerous proposals for the Tiwi Islands to secede from the Northern Territory as a new state of Australia, sometimes including the Cobourg peninsula and the nearby Croker Island.

There have been numerous proposals, most not serious, to cede the Tiwi Islands and the Chubut Province of Argentina to Wales.

## List of presidents

 **Oscar Davis** | 2 February 1857
 **Henry Robiquet**(pretender with no real authority)
 **Ewan Lawrence** | 28 January 1859