<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Related ethnic groups </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Aboriginal Australians, Papuans, Melanesians </Td> </Tr> <P> Torres Strait Islanders (/ ˈtɒrɪs - /) are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia . They are distinct from the Aboriginal people of the rest of Australia, and are generally referred to separately . There are also two Torres Strait Islander communities on the nearby coast of the mainland at Bamaga and Seisia . </P> <P> There are 6,800 Torres Strait Islanders who live in the area of the Torres Strait, and 42,000 others who live outside the area, mostly in the north of Queensland, particularly in Townsville and Cairns . </P>

Are the torres strait islands part of australia