Indigenous languages

There are hundreds of Indigenous languages across Australia – learn more about them here, including the local language where you live, work, or travel.

The Research Unit for Indigenous Languages is working with communities to help them maintain their lingusitic and cultural heritage. Indigenous language rematriation is also a focus of the research of Dr Lou Bennett, a Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung academic at the University of Melbourne.

Useful resources

  • The sounds of Australian Aboriginal Languages: In this video series, learn more about the different sounds that can be found in Aboriginal Australian languages.
  • The 50 Words project: This interactive map can be used to learn more about the local language where you live, work or travel. It enables communities to record and share their languages.
  • Sovereign Language Rematriation through Song Pedagogy: This lecture by Dr Lou Bennett for the Indigenous Settler Relations Collaboration Seminar Series 2020 explores the bringing home the body of languages to Indigenous communities.
  • AUSTLANG: Provides information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, assembled from a number of referenced sources.