The Tiwi Islands are located in the Northern Territory of Australia, 80 km north of Darwin, and consist of Melville Island, Bathurst Island, and nine smaller uninhabited islands. The total area of the islands is 8,320 square kilometres. The islands were inhabited by the Tiwi people before European settlement, and the population was 2,348 at the 2021 census. The Tiwi Land Council is one of four land councils in the Northern Territory, with statutory authority under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. The islands were formed by sea level rise at the end of the last ice age, approximately 8,200 to 9,650 years ago.
The Tiwi Islands council area has a significant percentage of households with affordable mortgage and rent payments. The area is characterized by a mix of family compositions, with couples with children being the most common. The majority of employed persons are in professional occupations. Additionally, a large proportion of residents have lower annual incomes. Renting is the predominant tenure type for occupied dwellings, and the top industries include retail trade and transport.
