 In 2001 the Shire had a population of 934 of which 88.2% were Aboriginal.By the , the population of the shire had risen to 1,143; with 86.1% of residents being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.Lardil (also known as Gununa, Ladil) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Mornington Island and the Northern Wellesley Islands, within the local government boundaries of the Mornington Shire.