The Tiwi of Melville Island, the Portuguese of Timor, and Slavery

What is it about?

For over 180 years it has been claimed that Portuguese raiders from Timor captured and enslaved people from the Tiwi Islands of north Australia. This article challenges this notion by highlighting the complete absence of any solid evidence for the claims. It is also noted that many authors state or imply that this slave raiding began in the 16th century or very beginning of the 17th century. If this was so, it means the otherwise generally accepted history of the European discovery of Australia is wrong. This is, however, not acknowledged by most authors who make the slave-raiding claims. To investigate these claims, this article makes a critical evaluation of several associated themes, such as the history of Portuguese slavery, the oral traditions of the Tiwi people, and the history of the Tiwi people’s relationships with outsiders, including the Makassar-based trepang fishers known today as Macassans. Alternative scenarios are explored to understand the reputation the Tiwi people received for routine hostility to all intruders. It is contended here that much of what has been written about this matter has been highly exaggerated and there is no justification for linking it to memories of slave raiding, as many authors claim. The article concludes that there is no evidence for the Portuguese slave-raiding claims and recommends future authors disown the notion or, if they feel it must be mentioned, to acknowledge it is wholly unsubstantiated.

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