In the last few years, Port Keats was run as an Aboriginal reserve by the Northern Territory Government, before being renamed Wadeye when control was passed to the Kardu Numida Council.

In 1938 it moved 14 km (8.7 mi) inland to the community's present location, owing to lack of water supply.

In the 1970s, the Northern Territory Government took over control, operating as an Aboriginal reserve, before it was passed to the Kardu Numida Council in 1978, when the community's name was changed to Wadeye.

[4][5] Violence escalated between the 22 family groups[6] over the incident, resulting in around 37 homes being extensively damaged by fire in arson attacks, and 125 of Wadeye's 288 properties needing repairs, according to the Northern Territory Government.

Traditional owners, assisted by Northern Territory Police, are working on re-establishing peace and making Wadeye a place where young people can live safely, after houses had been rebuilt.

[11] The town is remote, situated on the western edge of the Daly River Reserve about 230 kilometres (140 mi) by air south-west of Darwin.

[12] Wadeye has a sealed airstrip, Port Keats Airfield, with regular passenger flights to Darwin.

There is a Catholic school operated by Our Lady of the Sacred Heart that provides education to students from transition through to year 12.

Clients requiring care that is not able to be managed in the community are transferred to Royal Darwin Hospital via the Top End Medical Retrieval Service operated by CareFlight.

[14] Residents see the reopening as a positive for the town, with the pool providing a safer place to swim than nearby creeks inhabited by crocodiles.

[17] Following in the tradition of Nym Bundak is Richard 'Skunky' Parmbuk..[18][19] As any other regions in the Top End, Wadeye has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) with distinct wet and dry seasons.

Most of the rainfall occurs from December to March (southern hemisphere summer), when thunderstorms are not very uncommon and afternoon relative humidity averages over 70 percent during the wettest months.