A group of South Coast Aboriginal people are keeping their culture alive graduating from a TAFE NSW course in one of the oldest languages in our nation, Dhurga.
Among the students was a group of women from Ulladulla who came together weekly to use the TAFE NSW Ulladulla Connected Learning Point, where they joined a class being delivered virtually out of the Moruya campus.
Ebony Carriage is a Ulladulla mother and the third generation of her family learning the language.
“This course is teaching us the language but it’s also bringing a real sense of connection to our community,” she said.
Ebony’s father and late grandfather had also studied the language and now she hopes to pass it on to her own son.
“We’ve all been having a good laugh together while getting through the work. I really want children in the area to embrace our culture, we need groups like this,” she said.
Classmate Nathel Fishlock hopes to play a role in teaching the next generation about Dhurga language.
As an Aboriginal Education Officer at Ulladulla Public School Ms Fishlock plans to start teaching Dhurga language later this year.
“It will be fantastic to pass on what I have learned through TAFE NSW and teach our school children to be bilingual and know our local Dhurga language,” she said.
Throughout the Aboriginal language course, students learn to speak, read, and write in Dhurga language. They also learn about local Aboriginal identity, discuss sensitive issues, and explore the preservation of Aboriginal languages.
TAFE NSW Aboriginal Student Support Officer Anita Brunhuber was pleased to see the increasing community interest in learning the Aboriginal language.
“Learning the language through our certificates I, II and III brings people together and connects people with their culture. It’s also a helpful skill for people who are considering working as cultural tour guides, teachers, and personal business ventures” she said.
Ulladulla resident and TAFE NSW student Gayle Nolan thinks the language courses have done a lot to bring the community together.
“I love meeting like-minded mob and talking together in Dhurga. It’s something we’ve not been able to do until now. It’s an amazing feeling for us to be able to hear our language in song, poetry, and stories.
“I like that TAFE NSW jumped on board with this. Our schools teach languages in German and French, so I think it’s nice that TAFE is teaching Aboriginal languages. Now this language is being spoken, I can see it growing through generations,” she said.

Media contact: Adam Wright, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, mobile 0466 375 552.