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Family history
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
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- Research step-by-step Follow our steps for doing family history research.
- Family history sources Learn about the different sources of family history information.
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Collection
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Search the Collection Search and explore the AIATSIS Collection of more than 1 million items related to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Featured collections Browse some of our featured collections which have been digitised as part of our ongoing preservation work.
- Using the Collection You can search the Collection online or visit the Stanner Reading Room to view or listen to collection items and conduct research.
- Caring for the Collection We have the largest and best contextualised collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage in the world, and it continues to grow.
- Donate to the Collection We welcome donations of unpublished materials relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, culture, knowledge, and experience.
Research
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Current projects Our research contributes to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and has a direct benefit to the communities we work with.
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- Languages at AIATSIS Most of the estimated 250 Australian languages and 600-700 dialects are represented in our unrivalled language holdings.
Education
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
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- Curriculum resources Our world leading curriculum resources are keyed to national curriculum requirements. We also have a range of useful teacher resources within our collection.
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AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
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AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
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- What we do We tell the story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia and create opportunities for people to encounter, engage and be transformed by that story.
- Who we are We are Australia's only national institution focused exclusively on the diverse history, cultures and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia.
- Work with us We recognise that our staff and volunteers are our most valuable asset.
- Ngurra Ngurra: The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Precinct will be nationally significant in speaking to the central place that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hold in Australia’s story.
- AIATSIS Central Australia We’re opening a new facility in Mparntwe/Alice Springs in partnership with First Nations Media Australia.
- Aboriginal Studies Press Aboriginal Studies Press (ASP) is Australia’s leading publisher of Australian Indigenous studies.
- Return of Cultural Heritage AIATSIS is leading the Return of Cultural Heritage (RoCH) program to return Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage material held overseas to Australia.
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Language status - map and graph data

Map

Search by AustLang code

View the full AustLang dataset

Use your mouse to zoom and pan. You can also zoom with the +/- buttons.

Note: This map shows those languages for which AIATSIS received a survey response for NILS3. There are many more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages than shown. See the AustLang dataset for more information.

Note: Some language varieties include learners and part speakers in the the total number, while some only include full speakers.

Definitions

Strong	All age groups use the language. People in all age groups are full speakers and it is being passed on to children in the natural course of daily life.
Unsafe	Many age groups use the language. Not all children are full speakers.
Definitely endangered	The language is used mostly by the parent generation and older. Only people in the parent generation and older are full speakers.
Severely endangered	The language is used mostly by the grandparent generation and older. Only people in the grandparent generation and older still understand the language.
Critically endangered	The language is used mostly by the great-grandparent generation and older. Only people in the great-grandparent generation and older remember some of the language. They may not use it very often.
Sleeping	There is no one who can speak or remember the language.
Reawakening / renewing	The language has been sleeping for some time, but now people are using the language again.
'Little speaker'	Can only say some words and simple sentences.
'Part speaker'	Can have a conversation in limited situations. They cannot express everything in the language.
'Full speaker'	Can have a conversation in all situations. They can express almost everything in the language.

Last updated: 08 February 2022