Torres Strait Islands

A group of islands in the Torres Strait between Cape York Peninsula and Papua New Guinea, forming part of Queensland. They are the homeland of Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Torres Strait Islander people: An Indigenous Australian people with distinct cultures and deep connections to the islands and surrounding sea. The islands are the homeland of these peoples, whose identities include diverse island communities.
Torres Strait: A sea passage between Cape York Peninsula and Papua New Guinea connecting the Coral Sea and the Arafura Sea. The islands are distributed throughout this strait and its surrounding waters.
Cape York Peninsula: A peninsula forming the northernmost part of mainland Australia in Queensland. It defines the southern side of the strait and is the nearest Australian mainland.
Mabo v Queensland (No 2): A 1992 High Court of Australia decision recognizing native title and rejecting terra nullius in Australian law. The case concerned Mer and overturned the legal fiction used to deny prior Indigenous land ownership.
Mer (Murray Island): An inhabited volcanic island in the eastern Torres Strait and the home of the Meriam people. Mer is the setting of the Mabo case and a distinct eastern island community.
Meriam people: The Indigenous people of the eastern Torres Strait, including the inhabitants of Mer. Meriam communities on Mer were central to the landmark land-rights case.
Luis Vaez de Torres: A Spanish navigator who sailed through the strait now named after him in 1606. His voyage gave the waterway its European name, later applied to the island group.
Great Barrier Reef: The world’s largest coral reef system, extending along the northeastern coast of Australia. Its northern reaches meet the waters and reef environments of the island region.
Native title in Australia: A form of recognition under Australian law for rights and interests arising from Indigenous traditional laws and customs. The islands became central to the doctrine’s recognition and its continuing application.
Thursday Island: An island in the western Torres Strait that serves as a regional administrative and service centre. Its urban role contrasts with smaller, more remote island settlements.

Linked from 3 pages

Papuan languagesRelated: Some Papuan languages are spoken near this southern edge of the region.