A Language Teachers’ workshop  was held at Muurrbay 12-13 December, with Aboriginal teachers from many language groups attending, including Gathang (Birrbay, Warrimay and Guringay), Dharawal, Gamilaraay and the local Gumbaynggirr mob. Gary Williams greeted the group in their four different languages and talked about the role of Muurrbay in language revitalisation. Julie Long demonstrated some of the techniques that have … Read More

Bunjum staff and the Mums and Bubs group at Ballina Public School got together with the support of Gary Williams and Anna Ash of Muurrbay to have fortnightly language workshops.  Tania Marlowe is shown here using pictures to share language.  We also practiced several songs in Bundjalung, which will be shared with Jarjums.  If you have any enquiries please contact … Read More

Muurrbay have new email addresses and they are as follows : ceo@muurrbay.org.auadmin@muurrbay.org.au Our previous email addresses are still active for the next 10 months, this is to allow us time to let everyone know of the switch over. Have a great week everybody!

Muurrbay was recently visited by a group of students of anthropology, linguistics and social work from Sydney University. Lecturers John Hobson and Susan Poetsch organised the fieldwork excursion for the unit: Re-awakening Australian Languages. This unit examines how Indigenous communities are resisting the Australian trend towards monolingualism by reviving their languages. The students also visited several Gumbaynggirr language classes in … Read More

Excerpt from Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation website – A SALVAGE GRAMMAR AND WORDLIST OF THE LANGUAGE FROM THE HUNTER RIVER AND LAKE MAQUARIE This work was compiled in response to the need for a practical interpretation of old records about the language from the Hunter River and Lake Macquarie. It has 3 different PDF parts. You can download them by clicking here. This … Read More

Lismore local, Binnie O’Dwyer invited Margaret Sharpe  to come to a language workshop in Lismore in April, held at Thelma James’ Bundjalung café ‘Gunnawannabe’.  Roy Gordon and other Lismore Elders had a valuable input to the day, welcoming everyone and advising on language matters.  Margaret has worked on the many dialects of Bundjalung  language and was keen to help people … Read More

Gary Williams and Anna Ash travelled to Stradbroke Island to attend the 12thAustralian Languages Workshop, hosted by the School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies, University of Queensland and held at their Moreton Bay Research Station.  Thanks Felicity Meakins and Myf Turpin for a fabulous weekend of interesting linguistics and yarning up. Gary and Anna travelled with Terry Lowe, a … Read More

On Wednesday, December 12, 2012, Gathang community members gathered to celebrate the launch of a new web portal dedicated to the revitalization of their Indigenous language. Media were invited to attend the event, which took place at 2 p.m. in Room AG 03 in the General Education building at Taree TAFE, Montgomery Crescent. The first of its kind in Australia, … Read More

Where do the names for animals and things come from? Someone at some stage made a decision: we’re going to call this animal a platypus. Actually is was during the late 18th century: from Greek platupous ‘flatfooted,’ from platus ‘flat’ + pous ‘foot.’ So being that it’s an Australian animal, what was it called in Aboriginal Languages? Many of the … Read More