Fact Sheet
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NSW Aboriginal Languages
'Language is at the core of cultural identity. It links people to their land, it protects history through story and song, it holds the key to kinship systems and to the intricacies of tribal law including spirituality, secret/sacred objects and rites. Language is a major factor in people retaining their cultural identity and many say 'if the Language is strong, then Culture is strong". (ATSIC 2000, p.4)
NSW Aboriginal languages - a rich linguistic and cultural heritage
Before European settlement, the area that was to become New South Wales hosted seventy or more Aboriginal languages and dialects, although views regarding this number vary considerably and some estimates are significantly higher (Hosking et al 2000). These 'traditional' or 'ancestral' languages, as they are sometimes referred to, include:
- Muruwari, Ngiyampaa, Paakantji and Yandruwandha in northwest NSW
- Mathi-mathi, Paakantji and Wiradjuri in southwest NSW
- Gamilaraay, Muruwari, Ngiyampaa, Wangkumara, Wiradjuri and Yuwaalaraay in central NSW
- Anewan (Nganyaywana), Birpai, Bundjalung, Dhangadi, Gadhang, Gamilaraay, Gidabul, Gumbaynggirr, Ngarrabul, Wonarua, Yaygirr in northeast NSW
- Awabakal, Bidawal, Dharawal, Dharuk, Dhurga, Gundangara, Monero, Ngarigu, Ngunawal, Walbanga, Wandandian and Yorta Yorta in southeast NSW.
All the languages of NSW have a number of dialectical variations. A dialect is not a separate language but it can be very different to other dialects of the same language. Because there were so many languages and dialects, Aboriginal people were linguistic experts.They were often multilingual and individuals could speak the language of their mother, father and spouse which were frequently different. They also learnt the languages of other groups they came in contact with, and within each tribe there were different languages for different occasions ranging from everyday conversation to secret sacred rites. For example, men and women who had been initiated spoke their own languages (Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 1992; Parbury 1986).
Aboriginal languages are complex and diverse, with intricate grammar and extensive vocabularies which encapsulate an intimate knowledge of the Australian environment and Aboriginal culture.
The importance of a language to its speakers and descendants is much more significant than simply its linguistic aspects. Language goes to the very core of one's identity and Aboriginal languages contain embedded in them much of the culture, social values and world view of its speakers (Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 1992).
"Language is our soul"
(Aunty Rose Fernando, Gamilaroi Elder, quoted in NSW Office of the Board of Studies 1998)
Language Loss
With European invasion, Aboriginal languages and cultures suffered enormous erosion. This was partly due to the reduction in speaker populations associated with introduced diseases, to displacement and in some instances to massacres.
As the first area to be colonised, New South Wales bore the brunt of these impacts. Language groups were fragmented and Aboriginal people were forced to relocate into mixed language groups, reducing the opportunities available to speak their language.
On missions and government run settlements, Aboriginal languages were frequently banned and in most cases discouraged (Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 1992). As a consequence, many Aboriginal languages in NSW fell into disuse while some have few surviving fluent speakers (Hosking et al 2000).
Language Revival
Over the last 15 to 20 years there has been a resurgence of interest and activity in language revival amongst Aboriginal people. Indeed, whilst some languages are rarely spoken, there is no such thing as a 'dead' or 'extinct language- that is, given adequate resources, most languages can be revived.
Today, language revival is a priority for many Aboriginal people, and several successful language revival projects are now in place. These include the Gumbayngirr language project in northern NSW. Gumbayngirr, which is reported to be the language from Macksville up to about Coffs Harbour, is being taught through the Muurrbay Aboriginal Language Centre in Nambucca Heads, as well as in a number of local high schools. Other active projects include the Wiradjuri Language Development project in central-western NSW and the Gamilaraay-Yuwaalaray language project in the New-England district.
Aboriginal English
Soon after first contact in NSW, forms of speech developed that reflected this contact. One legacy of these new forms of speech is a widespread use of what is known as Aboriginal English (Hosking et al). Today, Aboriginal English is the first language of many Aboriginal children in NSW and is a recognised form of communication in NSW public schools (NSW Office of the Board of Studies 1998).
Aboriginal English uses words, patterns and rhythms from both English and Aboriginal languages. Aboriginal English and Standard Australian English are usually mutually intelligible, although there are major differences in vocabulary, grammar, meaning, sounding system, gesturing and socio-cultural context (Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 1992).
Government Involvement
There has been growing government and public recognition and support for Aboriginal languages. However, language revival is an extremely complex and resource-intensive process, and increased government commitment is required to assist Aboriginal people in implementing language projects.
In recognition of this, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, in close collaboration with the Department of Education and Training and the Office of the Board of Studies, and in partnership with Aboriginal people in NSW, is coordinating the development of a whole-of-government NSW Aboriginal Languages Policy.
The Policy will create a framework for State Government to assist Aboriginal people and communities across NSW to revive and preserve their traditional language. In doing so, the Policy will be firmly based on the principles of community ownership and control, capacity-building and improved Government coordination.
Further Reading
ATSIC (2000). Submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee into the Needs of Urban Dwelling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
Australian Parliament. House of Representatives. Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (1992). Language and Culture: A Matter of Survival. Report of the Inquiry into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Language Maintenance. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
Hosking DF, Lonsdale TJ, Troy JF and Walsh MJ (2000). Strong Language Strong Culture- NSW Strategic Language Study Final Report and Strategy Action Plan. Report prepared for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
National Board of Employment, Education and Training (1996). The Land Still Speaks. Commissioned Report No. 44.
National languages and Literacy Institute of Australia Ltd. Backing Australian Languages: Review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Initiatives Program. Report prepared on behalf of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
NSW Office of the Board of Studies (1998). New South Wales Aboriginal Languages Interim Framework K-10. Sydney: Board of Studies NSW.
Parbury N (1986). Survival: A History of Aboriginal Life in New South Wales. Sydney: Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs NSW.
Schmidt A (1990). The Loss of Australia's Aboriginal Language Heritage. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press.
