First Languages Australia

First languages Australia is the national body working to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. The organisation takes a lead role in identifying local, state, national and international policies and issues impacting on Australia's first languages. It facilitates communication between the first language communities, government and key non-government agencies throughout the country.

First languages Australia supports the language communities, which are often isolated by vast distances from others, to share their knowledge, their experiences, resources and expertise, and to develop effective partnerships to enrich the broad-spectrum of Indigenous language endeavours.

In the late 18 century there were more than 500 distinct traditional Australian languages. At the start of the 21st-century fewer than 150 languages remain in daily use and all except around 20 of those are highly endangered.

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