Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative

Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative began in 1986, when Gumbaynggirr Elders got together to revive their language and hand it down. Muurrbay means ‘white fig tree’ in the Gumbaynggirr language. Muurrbay aims to support Aboriginal people, particularly Gumbaynggirr, in the revival and maintenance of their language and culture, and so strengthen their sense of identity, self esteem and links to country.

Muurrbay gratefully acknowledges funding from the Australian Government’s Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport via its Indigenous Languages Support (ILS) program. We auspice the Many Rivers Aboriginal Language Centre, a regional language activity that provides vital support to Aboriginal communities who want to revitalize their languages; this covers an area from the Tweed to the Hawkesbury River.

Download the Muurrbay brochure

Muurrbay conducts research on the Gumbaynggirr language and is publishing language and teaching resources as well as teaching a Certificate II in Gumbaynggirr language for adults, and supporting the Gumbaynggirr language teachers at many pre-schools and schools in the Nambucca Valley and surrounding districts. We have published five dictionaries and grammars of Aboriginal languages (the sixth, for Yagirr, will be launched soon), language teaching resources, Elder’s memoirs, children’s stories and the Handbook of the Aboriginal Languages of NSW and the ACT by Jim Wafer and Amanda Lissarrague. We have an e-hub that provides access to computers and the internet, and provide administrative support to Aboriginal people who are applying to study or work.

Muurrbay supports the world famous Gumbaynggirr Nambucca Valley Elders Choir and has organised the Sydney based Aboriginal Languages Summer School funded by the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs. We provide advice on language to: Aboriginal community members and organisations, TAFE and University students, Department of Environment and Climate Change (National Parks and Wildlife), Local Councils, the Department of Education and Training, Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs and the NSW Board of Studies.