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Why is July 1 celebrated as the Coming of the Light Festival?
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Torres Strait Islander peoples
A Torres Strait Islander boy performing a traditional dance.
July 1 is celebrated as the Coming of the Light festival by Torres Strait Islander peoples to commemorate the arrival of the first Christian missionaries from the London Missionary Society on the island of Erub (Darnley Island) in 1871.1
The adoption of Christianity throughout the Torres Strait is often regarded as a significant turning point that helped end conflicts between various island groups and provided a measure of protection against the exploitation of the local population by foreign interests involved in the pearling and bèche-de-mer industries.1