When we sing in Dhurga, we give voice to our old people. Every sound carries the memory of land, water, and the ones who spoke these words long before us. Ngadju dana-dha ngul. Duraya mana-dha. Feet in the water. Hands in the river. These words remind us who we are and where we come from.
In our choir, women of all ages are learning to speak and sing language again. We take our time with it, listening, laughing, making mistakes, and trying again. Each song brings new confidence, each rehearsal strengthens the words that once fell quiet.
Singing keeps language alive. It moves through breath and heart, finding its way back to Country, community and to the next generation. This is how we honour the old stories and grow new ones.
We’ll be sharing some of our songs at the NSW Aboriginal Languages Festival on Sunday 19 October 2025 at Carriageworks, Sydney - a free celebration of Aboriginal languages across NSW. The day will be filled with performances, workshops, language lessons, markets, children’s activities, and an Elders’ tent. We can’t wait to be part of it, standing proud with many voices and languages side by side.
Find out more: https://www.alt.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/nsw-aboriginal-languages-week/nsw-aboriginal-languages-festival-2025