Upon landing, Maarten and his men were attacked by men with spears. From 1650 through to the early 1900’s Macassan traders from Asia would sail down through the Aspley Strait to trade their wares. The Tiwi people were not welcoming to the Macassan traders and therefore no trade was established between them.
The first European settlement in 1824 was at Fort Dundas on Melville Island near where Pirlangimpi now stands. This was the most northern European settlement in Australia. Due to the Tiwi people being hostile to the European, the settlement only lasted until 1829.
In 1911, a Catholic Mission was established – Francis Xavier Gsell with the Islands being claimed as an Aboriginal reserve in 1912. In 1930, a timber church was built in Wurrumiyanga as a prominent landmark, which continues to have historical significance to the community today and which has featured in a number of Australian feature films – the latest being Top End Wedding. The Catholic mission has had a large impact on the community providing access to education and welfare services.
The mission and government policies helped to establish communities on both Bathurst and Melville Islands – Nguiu, now known as Wurrumiyanga: Snake Bay, now known as Milikapiti and Garden Point, now known as Pirlangimpi.
