Language in Australia
Gambay - First Languages map
Click image to explore the map
Gambay - First Languages Map. First Languages Australia, 2020. Viewed at https://gambay.com.au/
Search the Library
The Library Collection is a key source of scholarly material supporting your studies. Evaluate what you find as not all material in the collection is scholarly.
Example Collection searches:
"Indigenous language" Australia
"Aboriginal language*" Australia
Linguistics Australia Aboriginal
Use refine search options on the left hand side to limit your results.
Find journal articles by searching the Library Collection or a relevant specialised collection or database. Key databases are listed on the database tab for this box. Listed below is a range of journals.
- AUSTLANG: online Australian indigenous languages databaseA free online database. Find information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages from different sources.
- AWABAFind information on indigenous history, culture and languages of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. A free online resource created by the University of Newcastle.
- Indigenous Studies Portal (iPortal)Access full text material including books, articles, theses, documents, photographs, archival resources and maps.
- Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA) (via ProQuest)Use this database to discover international literature (including journal articles, book reviews, books, book chapters, dissertations and working papers) in linguistics and related disciplines in the language sciences. The database covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.
![tv screen [Image source: Wayfinder_73 2008, https://www.flickr.com/photos/2426704861/, CC BY-NC 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en, Image source: flickr]](https://lgimages.s3.amazonaws.com/data/imagemanager/60010/tv_screen_rev.jpg)
Here are some examples of videos in the Library collection
National Indigenous Languages Policy
Aboriginal language resources
- Aboriginal Languages of AustraliaAnnotated links to 515 resources for over 150 languages.
- AIATSIS CollectionContains more than 1 million items, including books, audio, photographic, manuscript, moving image and art & object material, related to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Austlang - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages databaseAustlang provides information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages which has been assembled from a number of referenced sources.
- Australian Indigenous Language Collections (National Library of Australia)The National Library's Manuscripts collection contains original written records relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their languages.
- First Languages AustraliaFirst Languages Australia works to ensure that the wishes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members are voiced in key decision-making processes that impact on the current and future management of their languages. This will in turn shape the survival of Australia's traditional languages into the future. Offers links and guides to working on Indigenous language programs across Australia.
- Kaurna WarraThis website provides information about the Kaurna language as well as Kaurna video resources.
- Living Archive of Aboriginal languagesThe Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages is a digital archive of endangered literature in Australian Indigenous languages of the Northern Territory.
Kaurna Warrapiipa, Kaurna Dictionary
Kaurna Warrapiipa, Kaurna Dictionary by ISBN: 9781743059210Publication Date: 2022This simple, comprehensive and insightful dictionary is easy to navigate and is grounded with ancient and modern Kaurna voices and robust historical and contemporary sources.
Kaurna language videos
In this series Jack Buckskin outlines some basic words and phrases of the Kaurna language. The Kaurna are the original inhabitants of the Adelaide plains area in South Australia.
Access the full range of Kaurna language videos from Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi here