Eighty-five-year-old Catholic nun, Sister Anne Gardiner, who has lived on Bathurst Island among the Tiwi people since she was 22 was named the NT Senior Australian of the Year.

During her time on the island she has enriched the community, enhanced opportunities and supported the Tiwi culture, according to notes from the National Australia Day Council.

"I'd like to say thank you to two groups, to my congregation for allowing me to have all these years with the Tiwis, and to the Tiwi people, thank you," Sister Gardiner told the awards ceremony.

She is the principal of a local primary school on Bathurst Island and also founded an opportunity shop and established a cafe on the island to raise funds for the community.

She has also played a pivotal role in the Patakijiyali Museum, which helps local people share stories and traditional customs.