Two separate groups of people make up the original Australians. These are the Aborigines and the Torres Strait Islanders.
Prior to 1788, Aborigines occupied all of mainland Australia and most of the inhabitable islands near the coast, including Tasmania.
'Aborigines' was not the name these people used to describe themselves. It was the name given to the first Australians by the Europeans because it means the original inhabitants of the country.
Aborigines used and still use the names applicable to their own groups. Today's Aborigines are likely to call themselves by the name of the language or territory group to which they belong, for example, Wiradjuri, Pitjantjatjara, Kamilaroi, Gurnai, Aranda.
They may also use a general term like Murri, Koori, Nunga, Nyoongah or Yolgnu. Torres Strait Islanders use the name of their island community to describe themselves, for example, Badu, Murray, Yam, Boigu.
The Torres Strait Islands lie in the Torres Strait which is the stretch of water that separates Cape York Peninsula in north Queensland from Papua New Guinea. The people from these islands form the second group of the original Australians.
Aborigines used and still use the names applicable to their own groups. Today's Aborigines are likely to call themselves by the name of the language or territory group to which they belong, for example, Wiradjuri, Pitjantjatjara, Kamilaroi, Gurnai, Aranda.