Wadeye (/ˈwɒdeɪə, ˈwɒdɛər/ WOD-ay-ə, WOD-air^[2]) is a town in Australia's Northern Territory (NT). It was formerly known (and is still often referred to) as Port Keats, a name originating from Port Keats Mission, which operated from 1935 (originally at a different location, known as Wertnek Nganayi) until 1978. In the last few years, Port Keats was run as an Aboriginal reserve by the Northern Territory Government, before being renamed Wadeye when control was passed to the Kardu Numida Council.

Quick Facts Wadeye Northern Territory, Coordinates ...

Wadeye Northern Territory
Wadeye
Coordinates	14°14′20″S 129°31′19″E
Population	1,924 (2021 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	0822
Elevation	11 m (36 ft)
Location	394 km (245 mi) from Darwin
LGA(s)	West Daly Region
Territory electorate(s)	Daly
Federal division(s)	Lingiari
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 32.4 °C 90 °F 20.5 °C 69 °F 1,260.3 mm 49.6 in

Close

At the 2021 census, Wadeye had a population of 1924. Wadeye is one of the biggest Indigenous communities in the NT.

Aboriginal Australians inhabited the area long before white settlement.

The population has fluctuated around 2000 people in the past, before the 2022 riots. In the 2016 census, 2280 residents were counted.^[9] In 2021, there were 1,924 people (408 families).^[1] Wadeye is one of the biggest Indigenous communities in the NT.^[10]

The people are drawn from seven language groups, with the main language spoken being Murrinh-patha.^[11][1] Other languages include Marri-Ngarr, Marri-Tjavin, Magata-ge, and Djamindjung.^[12]

The town is remote, situated on the western edge of the Daly River Reserve about 230 kilometres (140 mi) by air south-west of Darwin. The Fitzmaurice River more or less forms its southern boundary.

It lies close to the Hyland Bay and Moyle Floodplain Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for large numbers of waterbirds.^[13]

Wadeye has a sealed airstrip, Port Keats Airfield, with regular passenger flights to Darwin. Road access is mostly unsealed via the Port Keats/ Daly River Road. Wadeye is accessible by road only during the dry season; in the wet season many river crossings are impassable, with access being possible only by light aircraft or coastal barge.^{[citation needed]}

Wadeye is serviced by several organisations including government and non-government organisations. There is a Catholic school operated by Our Lady of the Sacred Heart that provides education to students from transition through to year 12. In 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, seven students completed high school in Wadeye. It was the first time since 2007 that anyone had completed the final year.^[14]

There is a clinic operated by the Northern Territory Government that provides primary health care and emergency care services for the community. Clients requiring care that is not able to be managed in the community are transferred to Royal Darwin Hospital via the Top End Medical Retrieval Service operated by CareFlight.^{[citation needed]}

The development corporation for the community is Thammarurr Development Corporation (TDC), which represents the local 21 clan groups, providing funding, governance and leadership around issues surrounding community development related to health, housing, education and country.^{[citation needed]}

There is a well stocked shop and a take-away operated by the TDC.^{[citation needed]}

Wadeye is also the site of a temporary ADF Radar site that is used during exercises conducted in the Top End.^{[citation needed]}

In November 2023, the town's swimming pool reopened after being closed for five years.^[15] Residents see the reopening as a positive for the town with the pool providing as safer place to swim than nearby crocodile infested creeks.^[15]

Nym Bunduk was the first painter in Wadeye who had international interest. He was asked by Bill Stanner, an anthropologist who had come with Richard Docherty in 1935, to produce pieces explaining traditional law, which he made after he saw a map produced by Stanner. He produced many bark paintings of the dreaming which informed Stanner's research. In the 1958 George Chaloupka commissioned 64 paintings by local artists including Nym Bunduk,^[16] Charlie Mardigan^[17] and Charlie Brinken. By the 1960s the Catholic Mission was buying artworks from local artists at the mission store. Bark painting soon became a small mission-run cottage industry.^[18]

Following in the tradition of Nym Bundak is Richard 'Skunky' Parmbuk..^[19][20]

As any other regions in the Top End, Wadeye has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) with distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry season normally occurs from about May to October. The temperature of the dry season can drop below 10 °C (50 °F) during the coolest months between May and August, and it can peak above 40 °C (104 °F) in the build up months between September and November. The wet season is generally associated with monsoon rains and tropical cyclones. Most of the rainfall occurs from December to March (southern hemisphere summer), when thunderstorms are not very uncommon and afternoon relative humidity averages over 70 percent during the wettest months.