Rediscovering indigenous languages

Many of Australia's indigenous languages have been lost or are in danger of disappearing. Building on an existing partnership, Rio Tinto and the State Library of New South Wales (NSW) have embarked on a three-year project to revive and preserve some of these languages, and return the information back to Aboriginal communities.

The Rediscovering Indigenous Languages project, formally launched in December 2011, provides support for the State Library to showcase and preserve its unique collection of indigenous vocabularies and wordlists, which span from 1788 to the 1930s, and perhaps unearth previously hidden language lists in the Library's collections. 

"Many of the 250 indigenous languages spoken in Australia during British settlement are now lost, but fragments of these languages can be found among the letters, diaries and journals of British naval officers, surveyors and missionaries held in the State Library's unrivalled collections," says the State Library's Noelle Nelson, director of Library Services. "These first-hand accounts are often the only surviving records of many indigenous languages."

The Library's records include letters, manuscripts, diaries and journals which document indigenous languages from NSW, as well as Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. Already, the research work is unearthing a treasure trove of new and exciting material. For the vast majority of languages in Eastern Australia, which have no substantial dictionaries, these wordlists will provide an opportunity for communities to access their own languages and build understanding of their culture.

Commenting on the project, Victor Dominello, minister for Aboriginal Affairs, NSW said: "Language is part of Aboriginal people's connection to country, culture and identity. I commend Rio Tinto for supporting this important initiative that will contribute to the further revitalisation and maintenance of Aboriginal languages in this State."

The first stage of the project is a research and archival recovery process involving a nationally recognised group of experts. A Reference Committee of indigenous community members experienced in linguistics is supporting the project.

The material will then be made accessible online, firstly for local communities, but also national and international audiences. The project aims to be an effective educational resource, contributing to the school curriculum and further research, and to increase public awareness of the importance of maintaining indigenous language and cultural history.