View source for Torres Strait Islanders

{{Short description|One of the two categories of Indigenous Australians}}
{{About|one of the two ethnically distinct indigenous peoples of Australia, Torres Strait Islanders—the other being [[Aboriginal Australians]] |an overview of these peoples together |Indigenous Australians}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}{{Use Australian English|date= April 2014}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Torres Strait Islanders
<!-- | flag         = [[:File:Flag of the Torres Strait Islanders.svg|Link to file]] --><!-- This image is non-free and cannot be used here. See linked discussions at file talk page fore more information. -->| image            = TorresStraitIslandsMap.png
| image_alt        = A map of the Torres Strait Islands.
| population       = '''82,054''' (2021)<ref name=2021census>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples/estimates-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-australians/latest-release|title=Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians|website=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]|date=31 August 2023|access-date=22 May 2025}}</ref>
| poptime          = 
| popplace         = [[Torres Strait Islands]] 3,577<ref name=2021est>{{Cite web|url=https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/315011402|title=Torres Strait Islands|website=Australian Bureau of Statistics|access-date=22 May 2025}}</ref>
| languages        = [[Torres Strait Island languages]], [[Torres Strait Creole]], [[Torres Strait English]], [[Australian English]]
| religions        = [[Christianity in Australia|Christianity]],  [[Islam in Australia|Islam]]<ref>[https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/La-Trobe-Journal-89-Regina-Ganter.pdf][https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07256868.2011.565737]</ref>
| related          = [[Melanesians]]
}}

'''Torres Strait Islanders''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ɒr|ɪ|s}} {{respell|TORR|iss}})<ref>{{cite web|url= https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/torres_strait|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180823073909/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/torres_strait|archive-date= 23 August 2018|title= Torres Strait. Oxford Dictionary Online|publisher= Oxford University Press|access-date= 23 August 2018}}</ref> are the Indigenous [[Melanesians|Melanesian]] people of the [[Torres Strait Islands]], which are part of the state of [[Queensland]], [[Australia]]. Ethnically distinct from the [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal peoples]] of the rest of Australia, they are often grouped with them as [[Indigenous Australians]]. Today, many more Torres Strait Islander people live in mainland Australia than on the Islands.

Five distinct peoples exist within the broader designation of Torres Strait Islander people, based partly on geographical and cultural divisions. [[Kalaw Lagaw Ya]] and [[Meriam Mir]] comprise the two main Indigenous language groups; [[Torres Strait Creole]] is also widely spoken as a language of trade and commerce. The core of Island culture is [[Indigenous people of New Guinea|Papuan]], and the people are traditionally a seafaring nation. The Torres Islanders exhibit a strong artistic culture, particularly in sculpture, printmaking, and mask-making.

==Demographics==
[[File:Torres Strait Islander Indigenous Status.jpg|thumb|Geographical distribution of people with Torres Strait Islander Indigenous status<ref name="Australian 2021 Census dataset">{{cite web|url= https://tablebuilder.abs.gov.au/|title="2021 Census – Cultural Diversity, 2021, TableBuilder"|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)}}</ref>]]
[[File:Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Indigenous Status.jpg|thumb|Geographical distribution of people with both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Indigenous status<ref name="Australian 2021 Census dataset">{{cite web|url= https://tablebuilder.abs.gov.au/|title="2021 Census – Cultural Diversity, 2021, TableBuilder"|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)}}</ref>]]
[[File:Torres Strait Islander ancestry.jpg|thumb|Geographical distribution of people with Torres Strait Islander ancestry<ref name="Australian 2021 Census dataset">{{cite web|url= https://tablebuilder.abs.gov.au/|title="2021 Census – Cultural Diversity, 2021, TableBuilder"|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)}}</ref>]]
Of the 133 islands, only 38 are inhabited. The islands are culturally unique, with much to distinguish them from neighbouring [[Papua New Guinea]], [[Indonesia]] and the [[Pacific Islands]]. Today the islands are multicultural, having attracted Asian and Pacific Island traders to the [[Sea cucumber as food|beche-de-mer]], [[Nacre|mother-of-pearl]] and [[Tectus niloticus|trochus]]-shell industries over the years.<ref name="shire" />

The [[2021 Australian census]] counted 4,124 people living on the islands, of whom 86.7% were Torres Strait Islander or Aboriginal Australian people. (86.7% of the population identified as Torres Strait Islander; 16.9% as Aboriginal Australian; 2.3% as Australian; 1.8% as English, etc.).<ref name=2021est /> In 2006, the Australian [[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]] had reported 6,800 Torres Strait Islanders living in the [[Torres Strait]] area.<ref name=2006dfat>{{cite web|url= http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/indg_overview.html|title=Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples|work=Australia Now|publisher=[[Government of Australia|Australian Government]], [[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)|Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]]|access-date=10 December 2006|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061008120749/http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/indg_overview.html |archive-date=8 October 2006}}</ref>

People who identified themselves as being of Torres Strait Islander descent in Australia as a whole in the 2021 census accounted for 4.2% of those who identified themselves as being of Indigenous origin (39,538), while those with both Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal ancestry made up a further 4.4% (42,516).<ref name=2021census />

Five communities of Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal Australians live on the coast of mainland Queensland, mainly at [[Bamaga]], [[Seisia, Queensland |Seisia]], [[Injinoo, Queensland|Injinoo]], [[Umagico, Queensland |Umagico]] and [[New Mapoon, Queensland |New Mapoon]] in the Northern Peninsula area of Cape York.<ref>
{{cite web
 |title= About the Torres Strait
 |url= http://www.torres.qld.gov.au/about-the-torres-strait1
 |website= Torres Strait Shire Council
 |access-date= 21 October 2019
}}
</ref>

In June 1875, a [[measles]] epidemic killed about 25% of the population, with some islands suffering losses of up to 80% of their people, as the islanders had no natural immunity to European diseases.<ref>{{cite web |last=Korff |first=Jens |date=4 August 2021 |title=Aboriginal timeline: Health |url=https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/australian-aboriginal-history-timeline/health |access-date=4 August 2021 |website=Creative Spirits}}</ref>

==Administration==
{{Further|Torres Strait Islands#Administration}}

Until the late 20th century, Torres Strait Islanders had been administered by a system of elected councils, a system based partly on traditional pre-Christian local government and partly on the introduced mission management system.<ref name="Beckett1990">{{cite book|author=Jeremy Beckett|title=Torres Strait Islanders: Custom and Colonialism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7iO-blAUczcC&pg=PA17|access-date=7 March 2016|year=1990|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-37862-8|pages=17–18}}</ref>

Today, the [[Torres Strait Regional Authority]], an [[Australian government]] body established in 1994 and consisting of 20 elected representatives, oversees the islands, with its primary function being to strengthen the economic, social and cultural development of the peoples of the Torres Strait area.<ref name="etsra">{{cite web |date=June 2001|first=John|last=Kelly |title=Evaluation of the Torres Strait Regional Authority |website=Australian National Audit Office |url=http://www.anao.gov.au/uploads/documents/Evaluation_of_the_Torres_Strait_Regional_Authority_Report.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114335/http://www.anao.gov.au/uploads/documents/Evaluation_of_the_Torres_Strait_Regional_Authority_Report.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref>

Further to the TSRA, there are several [[Local government in Queensland|Queensland LGAs]] which administer areas occupied by Torres Strait Islander communities:
*the [[Torres Strait Island Region]], covering a large proportion of the Islands;
*the [[Northern Peninsula Area Region]], administered from [[Bamaga]], on the northern tip of Cape York; and
*the [[Shire of Torres]], which governs several islands as well as portions of [[Cape York Peninsula]], is effectively colocated with the Northern Peninsula Area Region, which covers a number of Deed of Grant in Trust areas on the peninsula, and the Torres Strait Island Region and administers those sections of its area which are not autonomous.<ref>{{cite book|title=Report of the Local Government Reform Commission|date=July 2007|isbn=978-1-921057-10-6|publisher=State of Queensland|chapter-url=http://www.localgovernment.qld.gov.au/docs/local_govt/stronger-councils/13_AboriginalAndTorresStrait.pdf|chapter=Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island local government|pages=59–65|access-date=31 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725052557/http://www.localgovernment.qld.gov.au/docs/local_govt/stronger-councils/13_AboriginalAndTorresStrait.pdf|archive-date=25 July 2008}}</ref>

==Ethnicity==
{{Further|History of Indigenous Australians}}
[[File:Torres Strait Islander localities by Indigenous Status.jpg|thumb|Indigenous Status of population in localities with significant share of Torres Strait islander population<ref name="Australian 2021 Census dataset">{{cite web|url= https://tablebuilder.abs.gov.au/|title="2021 Census – Cultural Diversity, 2021, TableBuilder"|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)}}</ref>]]
[[File:Torres Strait Islander localities by ancestry.jpg|thumb|Ancestry of population in localities with significant share of Torres Strait islander population (Torres Strait Islander or other)<ref name="Australian 2021 Census dataset">{{cite web|url= https://tablebuilder.abs.gov.au/|title="2021 Census – Cultural Diversity, 2021, TableBuilder"|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)}}</ref>]]
Torres Strait Islander people are of predominantly [[Melanesians|Melanesian]] descent, distinct from [[Aboriginal Australians]] on the mainland and some other Australian islands,<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-34037235|title=The people and history of the Torres Strait Islands|date=24 August 2015|access-date=27 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://aiatsis.gov.au/about-us|title=Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies|access-date= 14 November 2019}}</ref> and share some genetic and cultural traits with the people of [[New Guinea]].<ref name=eb/>

The five-pointed star on the [[Torres Strait Islander flag|national flag]] represents the five cultural groups;<ref name=eb>{{cite web|website=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Torres-Strait-Islander-people|title=Torres Strait Islander peoples|access-date=26 December 2019}}
</ref> another source says that it originally represented the five groups of islands, but today (as of 2001) it represents the five major political divisions.<ref name=shnukal>{{cite web |url=http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/doc/shnukal_torres_strait.pdf |title=Torres Strait Islanders |first=Anna |last=Shnukal |website=Multicultural Australia}}</ref>

Pre-colonial Island people were not a homogeneous group and until then did not regard themselves as a single people. They have links with the people of [[Papua New Guinea]], several islands being much closer to PNG than Australia, as well as the northern tip of [[Cape York Peninsula|Cape York]] on the Australian continent.<ref name=shnukal/>

Sources are generally agreed that there are five distinct geographical and/or cultural divisions, but descriptions and naming of the groups differ widely.

*''[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]'': the Eastern ([[Murray Island, Queensland|Meriam]], or Murray Island), Top Western (Guda Maluilgal), Near Western (Maluilgal), Central (Kulkalgal), and Inner Islands (Kaiwalagal).<ref name=eb/>
*''Multicultural Queensland 2001'' (a [[Queensland Government]] publication): five groups may be distinguished, based on linguistic and cultural differences, and also related to their places of origin, type of area of settlement, and long-standing relationships with other peoples. these nations are: Saibailgal (Top Western Islanders), Maluilgal (Mid-Western Islanders), Kaurareg (Lower Western Islanders), Kulkalgal (Central Islanders) and Meriam Le (Eastern Islanders).<ref name=shnukal/>
*Torres Shire Council official website (Queensland Government): Five major island clusters – the Top Western Group ([[Boigu]], [[Dauan Island|Dauan]] and [[Saibai Island|Saibai]]), the Near Western Group ([[Badu Island|Badu]], [[Mabuiag Island|Mabuiag]] and [[Moa Island, Queensland|Moa]]), the Central Group (Yam, Warraber, Coconut and Masig), the Eastern Group ([[Murray Island, Queensland|Murray]], Darnley and Stephen), and the TI Group ([[Thursday Island]], [[Tabar Island]], [[Horn Island, Queensland|Horn]], [[Hammond Island, Queensland|Hammond]], [[Prince of Wales Island, Queensland|Prince of Wales]] and [[Friday Island (Queensland)|Friday]]).<ref name=shire>{{cite web|publisher=Queensland Government|website=Torres Shire Council|url=http://www.torres.qld.gov.au/about-the-torres-strait1|title=About the Torres Strait|access-date=26 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219061221/https://www.torres.qld.gov.au/about-the-torres-strait1|archive-date=19 February 2017}}</ref>

Ethno-linguistic groups include:
*[[Badu people]], based on the central-west [[Badu island]]
*[[Kaurareg]], lower Western Islanders, based on the [[Muralag]] (Prince of Wales Island) group.
*[[Mabuiag]] (or Mabuygiwgal) people, across a number of the islands.
*[[Meriam people]], who living on a number of inner eastern islands, including Murray Island (also known as Mer Island) and Tabar Island.

==Languages==
{{main|Torres Strait Island languages}}
[[File:Torres Strait Islander Languages used at home.jpg|thumb|Languages used at home by Torres Strait Islanders in localities with significant share of Torres Strait islander population<ref name="Australian 2021 Census dataset">{{cite web|url= https://tablebuilder.abs.gov.au/|title="2021 Census – Cultural Diversity, 2021, TableBuilder"|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)}}</ref>]]
There are two distinct Indigenous languages spoken on the Islands, as well as a [[creole language]].<ref name=bbc/>

The [[Western-central Torres Strait Language]], or [[Kalaw Lagaw Ya]], is spoken on the southwestern, western, northern and central islands;<ref name=atsia/> a further dialect, Kala Kawa Ya (Top Western and Western) may be distinguished.<ref name=shire/> It is a member of the [[Pama-Nyungan]] family of languages of Australia.

[[Meriam Mir]] is spoken on the eastern islands. It is one of the four [[Eastern Trans-Fly languages]], the other three being spoken in Papua New Guinea.<ref name=atsia>{{cite web|url=http://www.atsia.gov.au/Facts/docs/FS_series23.pdf|title=Indigenous Fact Sheet: Torres Strait Islanders|work=[[Government of Australia|Australian Government]], [[Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Australia)|Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs]]|access-date=10 December 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060518061701/http://www.atsia.gov.au/Facts/docs/FS_series23.pdf|archive-date=18 May 2006}}</ref>

[[Torres Strait Creole]], an English-based [[creole language]], is also spoken.<ref name=shire/>

==Culture==
Archaeological, linguistic and [[folk history]] evidence suggests that the core of Island culture is [[Indigenous people of New Guinea|Papuo]]-[[Austronesia]]n. The people have long been agriculturalists (evidenced, for example, by [[tobacco]] plantations on [[Aureed Island]]<ref name=vp4>{{cite web | title=Part Four: a tale of two boys|first= Veronica| last=Peek | website=Charles Eaton: wake for the melancholy shipwreck| date=16 June 2012 | url=https://veronicapeek.com/2012/06/12/part-four-voyage-of-the-barque-charles-eaton/| access-date=5 August 2021}}</ref>) as well as engaging in [[Hunter-gatherer|hunting and gathering]]. [[Dugong]], [[turtle]]s, [[crayfish]], crabs, shellfish, reef fish and wild fruits and vegetables were traditionally hunted and collected and remain an important part of their [[Artisan fishing|subsistence lifestyle]]. Traditional foods play an important role in ceremonies and celebrations even when they do not live on the islands. [[Dugong]] and [[turtle]] hunting as well as fishing are seen as a way of continuing the Islander tradition of being closely associated with the sea.<ref name="vafi">{{cite book| title=Valuing Fisheries|last=Smyth|first=Dermot|editor1-first=Tor|editor1-last=Hundloe| chapter=Appendix B: The Indigenous Sector: An Anthropological Perspective| year=2002| publisher=University of Queensland Press| isbn=0-7022-3329-3|pages=230–231|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g8iprCUC-BQC|access-date=4 November 2012}}</ref> The islands have long history of trade and interactions with explorers from other parts of the globe, both east and west, which has influenced their lifestyle and culture.<ref name=japingka>{{cite web|url=https://japingkaaboriginalart.com/articles/art-in-the-torres-strait-islands/|title=Art in the Torres Strait Islands|website=Japingka Aboriginal Art|access-date=7 January 2020}}</ref>

The Indigenous people of the Torres Strait have a distinct culture which has slight variants on the different islands where they live. Cultural practices share similarities with [[Australian Aboriginal culture|Australian Aboriginal]] and [[Western New Guinea|Papuan]] culture. Historically, they have an [[oral lore|oral tradition]], with stories handed down and communicated through song, dance and ceremonial performance. As a seafaring people, sea, sky and land feature strongly in their stories and art.<ref name=nswart>{{cite web|url=https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/artsets/hav5uo|website=New South Wales Art Gallery|title=Art Sets. Art of the Torres Strait Islands|access-date=7 January 2020}}</ref>

===Post-colonisation===
Post-colonisation history has seen new cultural influences on the people, most notably the place of [[Christianity in Australia|Christianity]]. After the "Coming of Light" (see below), [[Artifact (archaeology)|artefacts]] previously important to their ceremonies lost their relevance, instead replaced by [[crucifix]]es and other symbols of Christianity. In some cases the missionaries prohibited the use of traditional sacred objects, and eventually production ceased. [[Missionaries]], [[anthropologist]]s and museums "collected" a huge amount of material: all of the pieces collected by missionary Samuel McFarlane, were in [[London]] and then split between three European museums and a number of mainland Australian museums.<ref name=artnetwork>{{cite web|url= https://australianartnetwork.com.au/regions/torres-strait-islands/ |website=Australian Art Network| title= Torres Strait Islands|access-date=8 January 2020}}</ref>

In 1898–1899, British anthropologist [[Alfred Cort Haddon]] collected about 2,000 objects, convinced that hundreds of art objects collected had to be saved from destruction by the zealous Christian [[missionaries]] intent on obliterating the religious traditions and ceremonies of the native islanders. Film footage of [[ceremonial dance]]s was also collected.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z50ml|title=BBC Two – Hidden Treasures of...|work=BBC|access-date=3 February 2018}}</ref> The collection at [[Cambridge University]] is known as the Haddon Collection and is the most comprehensive collection of Torres Strait Islander artefacts in the world.<ref name=nswart/>

During the first half of the 20th century, Torres Strait Islander culture was largely restricted to dance and song, [[weaving]] and producing a few items for particular festive occasions.<ref name=artnetwork/> In the 1960s and 1970s, researchers trying to salvage what was left of traditional knowledge from surviving elders influenced the revival of interest in the old ways of life. An Australian historian, [[Margaret Lawrie]], employed by the [[Queensland State Library]], spent much time travelling the Islands, speaking to local people and recording their stories, which have since influenced [[visual art]] on the Islands.<ref name=print>{{cite web| url=http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/references/5070/ |title=Torres Strait Islander printmaking | via=Centre for Australian Art: Australian Prints + Printmaking |last=Robinson|first= Brian|date=2001| quote=Conference paper, [from] Australian Print Symposium. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 1987 – ongoing|access-date=7 January 2020}}</ref>

===Art===
{{See also|Indigenous Australian art}}[[Image:Face mask torres strait.JPG|thumb|upright|Ritual face [[mask]] from a Torres Strait Island (19th century)]] Mythology and culture, deeply influenced by the ocean and the natural life around the islands, have always informed traditional artforms. Featured strongly are [[turtle]]s, fish, [[dugong]]s, sharks, seabirds and [[saltwater crocodile]]s, which are considered [[totemic]] beings.<ref name=japingka/>

Torres Strait Islander people are the only culture in the world to make [[turtleshell]] masks, known as ''krar'' (turtleshell) in the Western Islands and ''le-op'' (human face) in the Eastern Islands.<ref name=nswart/>

Prominent among the artforms is ''wame'' (alt. ''wameya''), many different [[string figure]]s.<ref name="LalFortune2000">{{cite book|editor1=Brij V. Lal|editor2=Kate Fortune|title=The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5pPpJl8E5wC&pg=PA456|access-date=7 March 2016|year=2000|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=978-0-8248-2265-1|page=456}}</ref><ref>[[Alfred Cort Haddon]], along with one of his daughters, the pioneers in the modern study of Torres Strait string figures</ref><ref>[http://www.isfa.org/biblio.htm A string figure bibliography] including examples from Torres Strait.</ref>

Elaborate [[headdresses]] or [[dhari (headdress)|dhari]] (also spelt ''dari''<ref>{{cite web | last=Whitford | first=Maddie | title=Producers reflect on profound experience walking with Indigenous artists on country | website=ABC News | date=13 April 2020 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/about/backstory/regional/2020-04-13/making-abc-this-place-indigenous-artist-series/12017770 | access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref>), as featured on the [[Torres Strait Islander flag]], are created for the purposes of ceremonial dances.<ref name=dance>{{cite web|url=https://awakening.qm.qld.gov.au/The+Exhibition/Purpose/Dance+machines+and+headdresses |publisher=Queensland Government|website= Awakening: Stories from the Torres Strait|title=Dance machines & headdresses|access-date=7 January 2020}}</ref>

The Islands have a long tradition of woodcarving, creating masks and drums, and carving decorative features on these and other items for ceremonial use. From the 1970s, young artists were beginning their studies at around the same time that a significant re-connection to traditional myths and legends was happening. Margaret Lawrie's publications, ''Myths and Legends of the Torres Strait'' (1970) and ''Tales from the Torres Strait'' (1972), reviving stories which had all but been forgotten, influenced the artists greatly.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lawrie|first1=Margaret Elizabeth|title=Myths and Legends of the Torres Strait/collected and translated by Margaret Lawrie|date=1970|publisher=University of Queensland Press|location=Brisbane}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Lawrie|first1=Margaret Elizabeth|title=Tales from Torres Strait|date=1972|publisher=University of Queensland Press|location=St Lucia Qld}}</ref> While some of these stories had been written down by Haddon after his 1898 expedition to the Torres Strait,<ref>{{cite book
  | title=Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits
  | year=1901
  | publisher=Cambridge University Press
  | language=en
}}{{clarify|reason=this is a multivolume work; which volume? which section? which page?|date=August 2023}}</ref> many had subsequently fallen out of use or been forgotten.[[File:Queensland State Archives 5763 Dancers Yorke Island Torres Shire June 1931.png|thumb|Torres Islanders dance on [[Yorke Island (Queensland)|Yorke Island]], 1931]]In the 1990s a group of younger artists, including the award-winning [[Dennis Nona]] (b.1973), started translating these skills into the more portable forms of [[printmaking]], [[linocut]] and [[etching]], as well as larger scale [[bronze sculpture]]s. Other outstanding artists include [[Billy Missi]] (1970–2012), known for his decorated black and white linocuts of the local vegetation and eco-systems, and [[Alick Tipoti]] (b.1975). These and other Torres Strait artists have greatly expanded the forms of Indigenous art within Australia, bringing Melanesian carving skills as well as new stories and subject matter.<ref name="nswart" />  The College of Technical and Further Education on [[Thursday Island]] was a starting point for young Islanders to pursue studies in art. Many went on to further art studies, especially in printmaking, initially in [[Cairns, Queensland]] and later at the [[Australian National University]] in what is now the School of Art and Design. Other artists such as Laurie Nona, Brian Robinson, David Bosun, Glen Mackie, Joemen Nona, Daniel O'Shane and Tommy Pau are known for their printmaking work.<ref name="print" />
 
An exhibition of Alick Tipoti's work, titled ''Zugubal'', was mounted at the [[Cairns Regional Gallery]] in July 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/zugubal|website=Cairns Art Gallery|title=Alick Tipoti: Zugubal|access-date=7 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | last=Tipoti|first= Alick | editor-last=Butler|editor-first=Sally | title=Alick Tipoti : Zugubal: ancestral spirits | date=2015 | publisher=Cairns Regional Gallery | isbn=978-0-9757635-6-8 }}</ref>

===Music and dance===
{{Main|Indigenous music of Australia|Indigenous dance of Australia}}

For Torres Strait Islander people, singing and dancing is their "literature" – "the most important aspect of Torres Strait lifestyle. The Torres Strait Islanders preserve and present their oral history through songs and dances;...the dances act as illustrative material and, of course, the dancer himself is the storyteller" (Ephraim Bani, 1979). There are many songs about the weather; others about the myths and legends; life in the sea and [[totem]]ic gods; and about important events. "The dancing and its movements express the songs and acts as the illustrative material".<ref>{{cite web|website=AIATSIS|url=https://aiatsis.gov.au/news-and-events/blog/audiovisual-heritage-torres-strait-singing-and-dancing|title=Audiovisual Heritage of Torres Strait Singing and Dancing|first=Kelly|last=Wiltshire|date=27 October 2017|access-date=7 January 2020|archive-date=21 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321154735/https://aiatsis.gov.au/news-and-events/blog/audiovisual-heritage-torres-strait-singing-and-dancing}}</ref>

Dance is also major form of creative and competitive expression. "Dance machines" (hand held mechanical moving objects), [[Clapper (musical instrument)|clappers]] and headdresses (dhari/dari) enhance the dance performances.<ref name=dance/> Dance artefacts used in the ceremonial performances relate to Islander traditions and clan identity, and each island group has its own performances.<ref name=thaiday/>

Artist [[Ken Thaiday Snr]] is renowned for his elaborately sculptured dari, often with moving parts and incorporating the [[hammerhead shark]], a powerful totem.<ref name=thaiday>{{cite web | title=Ken Thaiday  | website= Art Gallery NSW| url=https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/artists/thaiday-ken/ | access-date=15 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Dr Ken Thaiday Senior | website=Australia Council | date=15 May 2019 | url=https://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/arts-in-daily-life/artist-stories/dr-ken-thaiday-senior/ | access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref>

[[Christine Anu]] is an [[ARIA Award]]-winning singer-songwriter of Torres Strait Islander heritage, who first became popular with her [[cover version]] of the song "[[My Island Home]]" (first performed by the [[Warumpi Band]]).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Keenan|first1=Catherine|title=Frog princess|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/17/1042520770021.html|access-date=8 January 2020|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=18 January 2003}}</ref>

=== Sports ===
Sports are popular among Torres Strait Islanders and the community has many sporting stars in Australian and international sports. Sporting events bring together people from across the different islands and help to connect the Torres Strait with mainland Australia and Papua New Guinea. Rugby league is especially popular, including the annual 'Island of Origin' tournament between teams from different islands. Basketball is also extremely popular.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Osmond |first=Gary |date=2020-05-23 |title=Sport and the Torres Strait: Thursday Island, Island Studies, the Archipelagic Turn, and Identity |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09523367.2020.1779704 |journal=The International Journal of the History of Sport |language=en |volume=37 |issue=8 |pages=651–669 |doi=10.1080/09523367.2020.1779704 |issn=0952-3367|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=={{anchor|religion}}Religion and beliefs==
The people still have their own traditional belief systems. Stories of the Tagai, their spiritual belief system, represent Torres Strait Islanders as sea people, with a connection to the stars, as well as a system of order in which everything has its place in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldvision.com.au/global-issues/work-we-do/supporting-indigenous-australia/8-interesting-facts-about-indigenous-australia|website=World Vision|title=8 interesting facts about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders|access-date=5 January 2020}}</ref> They follow the instructions of the Tagai.{{quote|One Tagai story depicts the Tagai as a man standing in a canoe. In his left hand, he holds a fishing spear, representing the [[Southern Cross]]. In his right hand, he holds a sorbi (a red fruit). In this story, the Tagai and his crew of 12 were preparing for a journey, but before the journey began, the crew consumed all the food and drink they planned to take. So the Tagai strung the crew together in two groups of six and cast them into the sea, where their images became star patterns in the sky. These patterns can be seen in the star constellations of Pleiades and Orion.<ref>{{cite web|website=Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority|url=https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/about/k-12-policies/aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-perspectives/resources/spirituality-religion| title=Spirituality and religion among Torres Strait Islanders|access-date=5 January 2020|date=25 July 2018}}</ref>}}

Some Torres Strait Islander people share beliefs similar to the Aboriginal peoples' [[Dreamtime|Dreaming]] and "Everywhen" concepts, passed down in [[oral tradition|oral history]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.commonground.org.au/learn/the-dreaming|website=Common Ground|title=The Dreaming|access-date=5 January 2020}}</ref>

===Oral history===
<!---Redirects from Malo, Sagai, Kulka and Siu may target this section.--->
One of the stories passed down in [[oral tradition|oral history]] tells of four brothers (''bala'') named Malo, Sagai, Kulka and Siu, who paddled their way up to the central and eastern islands from [[Cape York (Queensland)|Cape York]] (''Kay Daol Dai'', meaning "big land"), and each established his own tribal following. Sagai landed at [[Iama Island]] (known as Yam), and after a time assumed a god-like status. The [[crocodile]] was his [[totem]]. Kulka settled on [[Aureed Island]], and attained a similar status, as god of hunting. His totem was the fish known as ''gai gai'' ([[Trevally]]). Siu settled on [[Masig]], becoming god of dancing, with the [[tiger shark]] (''baidam'') as his totem. The eldest brother, Malo, went on to Mer and became responsible for setting out a set of rules for living, a combination of religion and law, which were presented by [[Eddie Mabo]] in the famous [[Mabo v Queensland (No 2)|Mabo native title case]] in 1992.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Coming of Sagai | website=FireWorks Gallery |first=Glen|last= Mackie| url=https://www.fireworksgallery.com.au/coming-sagai | access-date=5 August 2021}}</ref>

The cult of Kulka was in evidence on Aureed Island with the finding of a "skull house" by the rescuers of survivors two years after the wreck of ''[[Charles Eaton (1833 ship)|Charles Eaton]]'', in 1836.<ref name="vp4" />

===Introduction of Christianity===
{{further|All Saints Anglican Church, Darnley Island#History}}
[[File:All Saints Anglican Church (2011).jpg|alt=A picture of a small white church with spires, nestled next to palm trees and bushes.|thumb|[[All Saints Anglican Church, Darnley Island|All Saints Anglican Church]] on [[Erub]] (Darnley Island)]]
From the 1870s, [[Christianity]] spread throughout the islands, and it remains strong today among Torres Strait Islander people everywhere. Christianity was first brought to the islands by the [[London Missionary Society]] (LMS) mission led by Rev. Samuel Macfarlane<ref name=slq/> and Rev. Archibald Wright Murray,<ref name=murray1888/><ref name=qhr/> who arrived on [[Darnley Island, Torres Strait|Erub (Darnley Island)]] on 1 July 1871 on the schooner ''Surprise'',<ref name=abc150/><ref name=logan2017>{{cite book| url=https://www.logan.qld.gov.au/downloads/file/363/sylvia-nakachi-iesu-ra-mir-giz-from-the-beginning| title=Iesu ra mir giz (from the beginning) ge omaida (when the Gospel came), Mer ge baziarda (it took root in Erub) igiare Torres Strait (and branched out to the whole of the Torres Strait) |publisher= [[Logan Art Gallery]]|date=2017| isbn=9780958711012 | access-date=31 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=adbmcf>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Gibbney |first=H. J. |entry=Macfarlane, Samuel (1837–1911) |encyclopedia=[[Australian Dictionary of Biography ]] | date=1974 | publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |entry-url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/macfarlane-samuel-4090 | access-date=3 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Hammond | first=Philip | title=Performers mark Coming of the Light | website=[[The Courier Mail]] | date=30 June 2011 | url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/performers-mark-coming-of-the-light/news-story/8c1c1f1e50867d6c7e15d7f15855e5c2 | access-date=3 August 2021}}</ref> a [[schooner]]{{efn|''Surprise'', a schooner of 150 tons, was originally a French ship, acquired by a Sydney buyer around September 1868 at [[Circular Quay]], having sailed there from [[Tahiti]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13172894 |title=Advertising |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]  |volume=LVIII |issue=9460  |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=15 September 1868 |access-date=4 August 2021 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}    </ref> It was chartered by Macfarlane and Murray under Captain Paget, leaving [[Lifu]] and Wave in the Loyalty Islands in May 1871.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5856308 |title=Cruise of the Jeannie Oswald. |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)]]  |issue=7,914  |location=Victoria, Australia |date=21 October 1871 |access-date=4 August 2021 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}} </ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245692254 |title=The New Guinea Expedition. |newspaper=[[The Herald (Melbourne)]] |issue=8118 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=13 January 1872 |access-date=4 August 2021 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} </ref> The ship, under Captain Brews, was wrecked in a gale on 2 February 1874 near [[Nobbys Head]], off [[Newcastle, New South Wales]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13330963 |title=Loss of the schooners Yarra and Surprise — both crews saved. |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |volume=LXIX |issue=11,143 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=3 February 1874 |access-date=4 August 2021 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}} </ref>}} chartered by the LMS.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Missionary Ships | journal=Shipping Wonders of the World| issue=Part 51| date=26 January 1937| url=https://www.shippingwondersoftheworld.com/missionrary-ships.html | access-date=3 August 2021}}</ref><ref >{{cite web | title=The Coming of the Light  | website=Anglican Board of Mission | url=https://www.abmission.org/resources.php/217/the-coming-of-the-light | access-date=3 August 2021}}</ref> They sailed to the Torres Strait after the [[French Third Republic|French Government]] had demanded the removal of the missionaries from the [[Loyalty Islands]] and [[New Caledonia]] in 1869.<ref name=qhr>{{cite QHR|15648|All Saints Anglican Church|600873}} Dated |20 January 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2021. [[File:CC-BY icon.svg|50px]] Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Attribution 4.0 International  (CC BY 4.0)] licence.</ref> Eight teachers and their wives from Loyalty Islands arrived with the missionaries on the boat from [[Lifu]].<ref name=murray1888>{{cite book | title=The Bible in the Pacific| first=Archibald Wright |last=Murray |date= 1888| via=[[Google Books]]|publisher= James Nisbet and Company | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G6UMAAAAIAAJ&dq=%22The+Story+of+the+Lifu+Mission%22&pg=PA226 | access-date=4 August 2021| pages=226–228}}</ref>

Clan elder and warrior Dabad greeted them on their arrival. Ready to defend his land and people, Dabad walked to the water's edge when McFarlane dropped to his knees and presented the [[Bible]] to Dabad. Dabad accepted the gift, interpreted as the "Light", introducing Christianity to the Torres Strait Islands. The people of the Torres Strait Islands adopted the Christian rituals and ceremonies and continued to uphold their connection to the land, sea and sky, practising their traditional customs, and cultural identity referred to as ''Ailan Kastom''.<ref name=slq>{{SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/coming-light-celebrating-150-years-christianity-torres-strait-1-july-2021|title='The Coming of the Light' Celebrating 150 years of Christianity in the Torres Strait 1 July 2021|date=28 June 2021|author(s)=Anne Scheu|access-date=29 June 2021}}</ref>[[File:Torres Strait Islander Religious affiliation.jpg|thumb|Religious affiliations of Torres Strait islanders in localities with significant share of Torres Strait islander population<ref name="Australian 2021 Census dataset">{{cite web|url= https://tablebuilder.abs.gov.au/|title="2021 Census – Cultural Diversity, 2021, TableBuilder"|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)}}</ref>]]The Islanders refer to this event as "The Coming of the Light", also known as Zulai Wan,<ref name="abc150">{{cite web | last=Willis | first=Carli | title=Zulai Wan marks an encounter 150 years ago that changed Torres Strait Islanders' lives forever  | website=ABC News |publisher= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | date=26 July 2021 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-26/coming-of-the-light-far-north-queensland/100311998 | access-date=31 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="creative">{{cite web|url=https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/spirituality/aboriginal-christians-christianity|website=Creative Spirits|title=Aboriginal Christians & Christianity|access-date=5 January 2020}}</ref> or Bi Akarida,<ref name="logan2017" /> and all Island communities celebrate the occasion annually on 1 July.<ref name="burton">{{cite web |url= http://www.tsra.gov.au/the-torres-strait/general-history.aspx |archive-url= http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090515015550/http://www.tsra.gov.au/the-torres-strait/general-history.aspx |archive-date= 15 May 2009 |title= History of Torres Strait to 1879 – a regional view |first= John |last=Burton |publisher= Torres Strait Regional Authority |access-date= 3 July 2011 }}</ref><ref name="abc150" /> ''Coming of the Light'', an episode in the 2013 documentary television series ''[[Desperate Measures (2013 Australian TV series)|Desperate Measures]]'', features the annual event.<ref>{{cite web | title=Coming of the Light (2013) – The Screen Guide | website=Screen Australia | date=16 March 2018 | url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/coming-of-the-light-2013/33350/ | access-date=8 February 2023}}</ref>

However the coming of Christianity did not spell the end of the people's traditional beliefs; their culture informed their understanding of the new religion, as the [[Christian God]] was welcomed and the new religion was integrated into every aspect of their everyday lives.<ref name="creative" />

===Religious affiliation, 2016 census===
In the 2016 Census,{{Update inline|date=March 2024}} a total of 20,658 Torres Strait Islander people (out of a total of 32,345) and 15,586 of both Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal identity (out of 26,767) reported adherence to some form of Christianity. (Across the whole of Australia, the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population were broadly similar with 54% (vs 55%) reporting a Christian affiliation, while less than 2% reported traditional beliefs as their religion, and 36% reported no religion.)<ref>{{cite web|website=Australian Bureau of Statistices|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Religion%20Article~80|title=2071.0 – Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia – Stories from the Census, 2016: Religion in Australia, 2016  |date=28 June 2017|access-date=5 January 2020|quote=[Include "Religion" table download from this page, "Table 8 Religious Affiliation by Indigenous Status, Count of persons(a)"]}}</ref>

=={{anchor|adoption}}Traditional adoptions==
<!---redirects from kupai omasker and Torres Strait Islander adoptions target this anchor/section.--->
A traditional cultural practice, known as ''kupai omasker'', allows adoption of a child by a relative or community member for a range of reasons. The reasons differ depending on which of the many Torres Islander cultures the person belongs to, with one example being "where a family requires an [[heir]] to carry on the important role of looking after land or being the caretaker of land". Other reasons might relate to "the care and responsibility of relationships between generations".<ref name=time/>

There had been a problem in Queensland law, where such adoptions are not legally recognised by the state's ''Succession Act 1981'',<ref>{{cite web | title=Succession Act 1981|date=25 May 2020| website=Queensland Legislation | url=https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1981-069 | access-date=9 June 2020}}</ref> with one issue being that adopted children are not able to take on the surname of their adoptive parents.<ref name=time>{{cite web |website=ABC News|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|first=Mark|last=Rigby | title=Torres Strait Islanders fear time running out for legal recognition of traditional adoptions | date=4 June 2020 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-05/torres-strait-concern-no-time-to-recognise-traditional-adoption/12319446 | access-date=9 June 2020}}</ref> On 17 July 2020, the [[Queensland Government]] introduced a bill in parliament to legally recognise the practice.<ref>{{cite web | title=Torres Strait Islander adoption practices bill introduced to Queensland Parliament|first =Mark|last =Rigby|website=ABC News |publisher =Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date=16 July 2020 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-16/torres-adoption-practices-legislation-introduced-parliament/12461488 | access-date=16 July 2020}}</ref> The bill was passed as the ''Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa Act 2020'' ("For Our Children's Children") on 8 September 2020.<ref>{{cite web | title='Historic moment': Queensland now recognises traditional Torres Strait Islander adoption practices | website=SBS News | date=9 September 2020 | url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/historic-moment-queensland-now-recognises-traditional-torres-strait-islander-adoption-practices/739947a1-06f4-4d22-832f-39828e8e70c1 | access-date=10 October 2021}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
[[File:Christine Anu 1.jpg|alt=A picture of Christine Anu.|thumb|upright|Singer Christine Anu, who performed at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics]]
* Activism
** [[Eddie Mabo|Eddie Koiki Mabo]], [[Indigenous land rights|land rights]] campaigner who played a major role in a landmark decision which now characterises Australian law on land and title
** [[Tanya Hosch]], social activist based in [[Adelaide]], South Australia
** Muara (Lifu) Wacando, who was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Humane Society for her sea rescue during the 1899 [[Cyclone Mahina]]

* Arts
** [[Christine Anu]], pop singer and actress, known for her song "[[My Island Home]]"<ref name="ARIA Award History">{{cite web|url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-artist.php?letter=C&artist=Christine%20Anu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519020402/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-artist.php?letter=C&artist=Christine%20Anu |archive-date=19 May 2011 |title=History: Winners by Artist: Christine Anu |work=[[ARIA Award]]s |publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]] (ARIA) |access-date=18 May 2009 }}</ref>
** [[Ken Thaiday Snr]], artist based in [[Cairns]]

* Education
** [[Martin Nakata]], the first Torres Islander PhD degree graduate (1998), proponent of [[Standpoint Theory|Indigenous Standpoint Theory]]
** [[Vanessa Lee-AhMat]], the first female Torres Strait Islander [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]] graduate (2016) from [[Griffith University]] [[Medical school|School of Medicine]]
* Sports
** Athletics
*** [[Harry Mosby]], 1976 Paralympian field athlete 
** American football
*** [[Jesse Williams (American football)|Jesse Williams]], 2013 Super Bowl winner 
[[File:Jesse Williams 2015.jpg|alt=A picture of Jesse Williams in American football gear, showing their tattoos.|thumb|upright|Jesse Williams, who won [[Super Bowl XLVII|2013 Super Bowl]] with the [[Seattle Seahawks]]]]
** Australian rules football 
*** [[Robert Ahmat]], Australian Football League player with {{AFL Col}} and {{AFL Syd}}<ref>{{cite thesis|last1=Martinez|first1=J.|title=Plural Australia: Aboriginal and Asian labour in tropical white Australia, Darwin, 1911-1940|date=1999}}</ref>
*** [[Ben Davis (Australian footballer)|Ben Davis]], Australian Football League player with {{AFL Ade}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Lifting the Lid: Abe Davis |url=https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/2016-05-27/lifting-the-lid-abe-davis |accessdate=4 July 2019 |website=sydneyswans.com.au}}</ref>
*** [[Fabian Francis]], Australian Football League player with {{AFL Mel}}, {{AFL BB}}, {{AFL PA}}<ref>[https://www.nmfc.com.au/news/1130512/what-sir-doug-nicholls-round-means-to-our-indigenous-players What Sir Doug Nicholls Round means to our Indigenous players] ''North Melbourne Football Club.'' Retrieved 16 January 2023.</ref> 
*** [[Delma Gisu]], AFLW player with {{AFLW|GWS}}<ref name=winter_series>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/2018-05-11/milestone-occasion-as-winter-series-squad-announced|title=Milestone occasion as Winter Series squad announced - goldcoastfc.com.au|publisher=}}</ref><ref name=gws_draft_release>{{cite web|url=http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2018-10-23/giants-welcome-eight-aflw-draftees|title=GIANTS Welcome Eight AFLW Draftees - GWSGIANTS.com.au|publisher=}}</ref><ref name=abc_tweet_d_gisu>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ABCIndigenous/status/1054934898790694912|title=ABC Indigenous on Twitter|publisher=}}</ref><ref name=gcb_news_d_gisu>{{cite news|url=https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/afl/gws-aflw-draftee-delma-disu-hopes-to-inspire-more-female-torres-strait-islanders-to-play-footy/news-story/585ce29c89e53e20e16f72037ca93d23|title=GWS AFLW Draftee Delma Gisu hopes to inspire more female Torres Strait Islanders to play footy|date=28 October 2018}}</ref>
*** [[Alicia Janz]], AFLW player with {{AFLW|Fre}}<ref name="naidoc speech 2007">[https://www.mlc.wa.edu.au/assets/documents/2020-MLC-NAIDOC-Speech-Alicia-Janz.pdf MESSAGE FROM COLLEGIAN ALICIA JANZ (2007)]</ref>
*** [[Sam Powell-Pepper]], Australian Football League player for {{AFL PA}}<ref>[http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/resilience-the-driving-force-behind-sam-powellpeppers-draft-bid/news-story/d71dd6190727eb9efdff1290b9335fbe Resilience the driving force behind Sam Powell-Pepper's draft bid]</ref>
*** [[Albert Proud]], Australian Football League player for {{AFL BL}}<ref>AFL Record.  Round 9,2009.  Slattery Publishing.  pg 75.</ref>
*** [[Heidi Talbot (footballer)|Heidi Talbot]], AFLW player for {{AFL GC}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 May 2025 |title=Ben Nabea Davis honours Torres Strait culture for Sir Doug Nicholls round |url=https://nit.com.au/15-05-2025/17966/ben-nabea-davis-honours-torres-strait-though-one-of-footys-great-icons-sir-doug-nicholls |access-date=12 June 2025 |website=National Indigenous Times}}</ref>
*** Peter Ware, [[West Australian Football League|WAFL]] premiership winning footballer with [[Swan Districts Football Club|Swan Districts]] and [[AFL Queensland]] Hall of Famer.<ref>[https://www.aflq.com.au/2023-queensland-football-hall-of-fame-peter-ware/ 2023 Queensland Football Hall of Fame – Peter Ware] 18th September, 2023</ref>
** Rugby League
*** [[Dane Gagai]], Australian National Rugby League player for the [[Newcastle Knights]]
*** [[Sam Thaiday]], Australian National Rugby League player for the [[Brisbane Broncos]]
*** [[Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow]], Australian National Rugby League player for the [[Dolphins (NRL)|Dolphins]]
** Basketball
*** [[Michael Ah Matt]], 1964 Olympic basketballer 
*** [[Nathan Jawai]], basketball player
*** [[Patty Mills]], NBA champion (2014, San Antonio Spurs) and captain for the [[Australia men's national basketball team|Australian Boomers]] first Olympic medal win<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-08-07 |title=After finishing fourth four times, the Boomers finally get on the Olympic podium |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-07/tokyo-olympics-patty-mills-leads-boomers-to-bronze-medal/100359056 |access-date=2023-09-28}}</ref>
*** [[Danny Morseu]], 1980 and 1984 Olympic basketballer 
** Soccer
*** [[Allira Toby]], soccer player in the [[W-League (Australia)|W-League]].

* Politics
** [[Cynthia Lui]], the first Torres Strait Islander elected to the [[Parliament of Queensland]]<ref>{{cite news|last1=Moore|first1=Tony|title=Labor one seat closer as first Torres Strait Islander woman elected to Parliament|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland-election-2017/first-torres-strait-islander-woman-elected-to-queensland-s-parliament-20171128-p4yx9p.html|access-date=9 December 2017|work=Brisbane Times|publisher=Fairfax Media|date=28 November 2017}}</ref>

* Religion
** [[Kwami Dai]], Assistant Bishop in the Anglican [[Diocese of Carpentaria]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mcokBVUm62gC&pg=PA8 Loos, Noel. White Christ Black Cross: The Emergence of a Black Church] (Google Books) p. 8 (Accessed 25 September 2013)</ref>
** [[Ted Mosby (bishop)|Ted Mosby]], Assistant Bishop in the [[Anglican Diocese of North Queensland]]
*Other
**[[Kapiu Masi Gagai]], pearler, boatman and mission worker who served in World War II<ref>{{Citation |last=Rich |first=Jenny |title=Kapiu Masi Gagai (1894–1946) |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gagai-kapiu-masi-10266 |access-date=2024-11-04 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Queensland|Australia}}
* [[Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts]]
* [[Australian frontier wars]]
* ''[[Blue Water Empire]]''
* [[Indigenous health in Australia]]
* [[List of Indigenous Australian firsts]]
* [[Indigenous people of New Guinea|Papuan people]]
* {{section link|Pearl hunting|Australia}}
* [[Torres Strait 8]], relating to climate change and the Australian Government

== Further reading ==
*[https://australianartnetwork.com.au/regions/torres-strait-islands/ Australian Art Network: Torres Strait Islands]
*[https://iview.abc.net.au/show/blue-water-empire Blue Water Empire] – ABC TV 3-part dramatised documentary about Torres Strait Islands, its history and people
*[http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/resources/atsi/contemporary-stories Contemporary stories] by and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
*{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/25/asia/aboriginal-massacre-australia-intl/index.html|title=The 'forgotten people': When death came to the Torres Strait|first=Aaron|last=Smith|website=CNN|date=26 May 2018}}

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box|by=no|onlinebooks=no|about=yes|wikititle=Torres Strait Islanders}}
*[http://www.tsra.gov.au/ Torres Strait Regional Authority]
*[https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/coming-light-celebrating-150-years-christianity-torres-strait-1-july-2021 'The Coming of the Light' Celebrating 150 years of Christianity in the Torres Strait 1 July 2021] – John Oxley Library Blog, State Library of Queensland. 
*[https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/tqqf2h/alma99274643402061 ReTold: a retelling of stories and songs from Myths and Legends of the Torres Strait by Margaret Lawrie 2010] – State Library of Queensland 
*[https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/dls06p/alma99183595811002061 Strait Home / State Library of Queensland] 

{{Indigenous Australians}}
{{Ethnic groups in Australia}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Torres Strait Islanders| ]]
[[Category:Culture of the Torres Strait Islands]]