Since June we have been working with DFAT to support language advocates and artists to visit a range of Australian consulates around the world. Here are some of the stories from this shared project.

This year’s the competition entries were very strong with the judges acknowledging all contributors while giving the awards to the following six exceptional entries.

First Languages Australia’s major celebration in the International Year of Indigenous Languages has been the launch of Jarrak: Our Languages Journey, a collection of materials that tell the story of advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages over the past fifty years.

To celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages First Languages Australia has been invited to host a selection of speakers, local language lessons and panel discussions at the Woodford Folk Festival.

Call out for Expressions of Interest!

For NAIDOC again this year our focus was working with the media to share inspirational language stories.

Bana Guyurru – The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Forum 2019 was a dynamic event, held in Cairns in May, and enjoyed by over 150 language workers, teachers and connected service providers.

We are pleased to announce the publication of Nintiringanyi: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teaching and Employment Strategy.

First Languages Australia was pleased to support a meeting of Western Australian language centres and programs in April.

Final planning is underway for the First Languages Australia and Language Centres National Meeting to be held on the 23rd August following the Puliima National Indigenous Languages and Technology Forum in Darwin.

First Languages Australia was delighted to partner with RNLD (the Resource Network for Linguistic Diversity) to offer a weeklong professional development training course to Young Language Champions in Melbourne in May.

In December, First Languages Australia was assisted by the Indigenous Languages and Arts team within the Department of Communications and the Arts, to facilitate a meeting of key government departments in Canberra.

Over the past two years, you may have seen hundreds of our Language Legends films broadcast on ICTV.

The Sydney Policy Lab is a new strategic project of the University of Sydney which looks to address complex local and global policy challenges.

Service Agreements have been signed with eight communities for this year’s Priority Languages Support Project which sees support given to communities to undertake crucial documentation of current speakers where no or little previous documentation has happened through a project administered by First Languages Australia, with funding provided by the Indigenous Languages and the Arts.

Recently Wanga Maya Pilbara Language Centre, the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages, Ngukurr Language Centre, Central Queensland Language Centre and the Lúrra Language and Culture Program have each been on the lookout for new staff to support the language activities happening in their regions.

Gambay: Our Interactive language map was a key feature of international presentations at Google Australian headquarters in Sydney recently.

From the welcome to all to by Yugambeh Elders, to song sessions and stories in the cultural exhibition spaces, the language of the Gold Coast was shared with the huge international audience for the Commonwealth Games.

Congratulations to the Queensland Indigenous Languages Advisory Committee and Department for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships in their collaboration toward the formal government recognition of Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages.

We are looking forward in the coming months to the completion and publication of Nintiringanyi: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teaching and Employment Strategy.