European explorers generally mapped placenames from afar. Re-placing examines what happens when Indigenous knowledge and naming is put back on the map.

Using Historical Maps to Identify European Recordings of Aboriginal Language in the Illawarra Region (15 mins) Dr Elizabeth Moylan Early explorers of Australia generally mapped placenames from afar while on their boats. Later, surveyors were directed to map Indigenous placenames, supporting the efficient re-establishment of locations. How placenames are recorded on historical maps reveals the level of interaction between the person recording placenames and those who lived there.

Contemporary Communities and Nineteenth-century Archival Materials (15 mins) Associate Professor Helen Gardner We cannot now research colonial and settler histories about Indigenous Australians without the support of the contemporary Indigenous communities that are the descendants of those represented in archives. This presentation will focus on community interest in language and the partnerships engendered through Helen’s project on the A.W. Howitt material held principally in Victoria.

The Mapping of Aboriginal Language Countries (15 mins) Dr Peter Sutton Early accounts acknowledged a close association between Indigenous Australian languages and physical landscapes, but it has taken over a century for that relationship to be deeply grasped by scholars. The mapping of landscapes in fine detail has been a key factor in furthering this understanding, building a more nuanced and complex picture of language countries.

Q&A (15 mins)