Tiwi Islands definition of Tiwi Islands in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Tiwi Islands, island group, Northern Territory, Australia, c.50 mi (80 km) N of Darwin, in the Timor Sea. Consisting of Bathurst Island Bathurst Island, c.1,000 sq mi (2,590 sq km), Northern Territory, N Australia, near Melville Island, between the Timor and Arafura seas. The island is a reservation owned by the Tiwi people.
..... Click the link for more information. and the much larger Melville Island Melville Island, 2,240 sq mi (5,802 sq km), Northern Territory, N Australia, in the Timor Sea 16 mi (26 km) off the coast. It is 65 mi (105 km) long and 45 mi (72 km) wide and is separated from Bathurst Island by Apsley Strait.
..... Click the link for more information. to the east across the narrow Apsley Strait, the group is separated from the Australian mainland by the Beagle Gulf (SW), Clarence Strait (S), Van Dieman Gulf (SE), and Dundas Strait (NE). The islands are named for the Tiwis, the aboriginal people who live there. Nguiu, on the southeastern tip of Bathurst, is the main township. The largely traditional economy is based on hunting, fishing, native arts and crafts, and some limited tourism.