Missionary Translations

John Dunmore Lang

Reverend John Dunmore Lang, 1841 by William Nicholas, Watercolour, P2/68

The Reverend John Dunmore Lang emigrated to Sydney in 1823 from Scotland and was the Colony’s first Presbyterian minister, establishing Scots Church in Sydney in 1826. Lang was active in promoting free emigration from Britain to the colonies, especially Protestant emigration. His belief was that well chosen migrants would produce a moral reformation in New South Wales. He lobbied extensively for the ending of convict transportation to the Australian colonies.

Lang was elected to the Legislative Council in Sydney in 1843 and served on nine select committees. He argued for the separation of Port Phillip and Queensland from New South Wales and believed fervently in the necessity of local self-rule. He encouraged a sense of national identity and looked to a time when all the Australian colonies would be united in one political federation.

The vocabularies included in the Rev. Lang's papers include words from Aboriginal languages in New South Wales, encompassing the Sydney region and Argyll county, incorporating Goulburn and bordered by Lake George. 

Also included are words from the communities around the Endeavour River near Cooktown in Queensland, including a further reference to the word, 'kangaroo'. Language from King George's Sound in Western Australia was also recorded.  

Transcription: John Dunmore Lang - Papers, 1823-1887, Vol. 9, Personal and Miscellaneous, MLMSS A2229

[Page 1]

Words taken from One of the Natives of Argyll

[Page 2]

[Page 3]

A specimen of the Language of the Aborigines of different parts of the Shores of Terra Australis including Van Diemens Land

King George’s Sound on the SW Coast
Lat 35   Lang 118

[Page 5]

DL The above specimen was obtaind from a native, who, on the visit of His Majesty’s Sloop Bathurst to King geo Sound in 1822, lived entirely on board the vessel and became quite attachd to the crew, with whom he messd daily during the stay of Captain King at Anchor, which exceeded 2 weeks -       It may therefore (when associated with the Natural Intelligence and quick Comprehension of the Aborigine) be concluded very correct. –

Endeavour River East Coast

within the Tropic

Lat 15o.27 So ----     Long 145o 10 East

The short period of Communication with the natives that in the present day, inhabit the shores of this River, altho’ it did not enable us to form a vocabulary of their language, was nevertheless sufficient to allow us to gather a few words from those offensive mischievous savages, who to our surprize did not at all recognize, as a term of their Language, the Word “Kangaroo”

[Page 6]

Endeavour River

which was supplied by themselves of this particular part of the Coast [part of page missing] ago, to the Animal, so generally known by that appellation in Europe and of which the first specimen that was scientifically examined was shot at the River in 1770 on the Discovery of New South Wales by the Immortal Cook, which was described by the eminent naturalists Sir Joseph Banks & Dr Solander, who accompanied that memorable Voyage of Discovery.    – We (in 1820) learnt that the present aborigines call the kangaroo of those forest hills,
           Minuar, Menuār   or perhaps as some pronounced it Mānia   -   The Inference drawn from this circumstance is that probably the present Inhabitants were themselves or their parents from the Interior of the Country originally, that upon making a descent upon the Coast they destroyd the whole of the tribe occupying it, and taking possession of their range of District, introduced of course their own particular Dialect  -        of which the following specimens –

• Read about the work undertaken by the Rev. Lancelot Edward Threlkeld and Biraban, also known as John McGill or Magil to document the grammar of an Indigenous Australian language

Magil, Corroboree dance [ca 1819-20], attributed to R. Browne

Watercolour drawing, SV/147