Port Keats, Northern Territory

Wadeye is a town in Australia's Northern Territory. Pronounced wod-air-yer, it was formerly known (and is still often referred to) as Port Keats. At the, Wadeye had a population of 1,627.Location and accessThe town is remote, situated on the western edge of the Daly River Reserve about 230 km by air south-west of Darwin. 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. Roads to the community are cut by flooding during the wet season, when access is only possible by light aircraft or coastal barge.HistoryA mission station was founded by Roman Catholic Father Richard Docherty in 1935 at Werntek Nganayi (Old Mission), and subsequently moved to a new location with superior water, gardening and building sites and landing place.Since 2007 violence between the Judas Priest and Evil Warriors gangs has declined.DescriptionWadeye is mainly inhabited by Indigenous Australians. The inhabitants include seven language groups, the main language that is spoken being Murrinhpatha. The indigenous population has five traditional bands or kinship groups of Nangiomeri, Marimanindji, Marithiel, Maringar and Mulluk Mulluk. Port Keats is also the site of a temporary ADF Radar site that is used during exercises conducted in the Top End.