Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in Queensland

Indigenous languages represent a very important part of the heritage of Queensland and all of Australia. Languages are storehouses of cultural knowledge and tradition, but sadly these languages are endangered to the point that all of them may disappear in the next few decades. The worldwide concern with language endangerment has singled out Australia as the continent where languages are disappearing the fastest  (eg. Nettle, Daniel and Romaine 2000, Vanishing Voices - The Extinction of the World's Languages, Pg 4-5).

In Queensland, over 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and dialects were once spoken. Today around 50 of these remain spoken (in varying degrees), with less than 20 being used as first languages, predominantly in the north of the state (Wik Munkan) and in the Torres Strait Islands (Kalaw Kawaw Ya and Kalaw Lagaw Ya).  

This wordle image highlights many of Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

There are now active community groups and language centres in Queensland working to revive and maintain their languages, trying to ensure that no more of this knowledge is lost. Language centres develop teaching resources for children and adults, research their languages and record the remaining fluent speakers. Their efforts also serve to offer the wider community a greater appreciation of this rich cultural heritage. Hear Ethel Munn, a Gungarri Elder speak of the importance of caring for language.

Resources

The State Library has developed the following resource guides and information sheets to support communities in the revival of Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. The resource listings correspond to Community Language Workshops held during 2010-2011 and identify items in the State Library Collections with language content pertaining to that region.

Language resources - Longreach and Central-West Queensland: list of languages and resources for Longreach and Central-West Queensland.

Language resources - Mount Isa and North-West Queensland: list of languages and resources for Mount Isa and North-West Queensland.

Language resources - South-East Queensland: list of languages and resources for South-East Queensland.

Language resources - Toowoomba and the Darling Downs: list of languages and resources for Toowoomba and the Darling Downs.

South-East Queensland Placenames: a list of selected placenames from South-East Queensland of Aboriginal origin.

See also: Language resources

The preservation of the original languages of Queensland is the preservation of ancient cultural treasure - not just for Indigenous people, not just for Queenslanders, but for all of mankind in the future.