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ABC Education

This Place

Discover the stories behind the names

From towns and rivers to mountains and landmarks, many places across Australia carry names from First Nations languages. This Place explores the stories behind these names, offering insight into the deep cultural and historical connections to Country.

This Place project is a partnership between ABC News and First Languages Australia, with ABC producers working with language custodians to record a place name story the community want to share. If you are interested in participating, please contact thisplace@abc.net.au.

This Place: The story of the Birrarung, the Yarra River

Yalukit Willam man of the Boonwurrung — Jaeden Williams-Briggs —tells the story of the Birrarung, known as the Yarra River. 
Jaeden Williams walks beside Yarra River
Duration: 3 minutes 20 seconds

Darkinyung, An ancient shell midden is helping this grandmother and grandson revitalise their culture

A grandmother and grandson on the New South Wales Central Coast are on a journey to revitalise their Darkinyung language and place names. 
Jack Chambers, Aunty Bronwyn Chambers
Duration: 3 minutes 16 seconds

This Place: Cultural burns on the Biyan Biyan Plain

In recent years, ecologists have been working to revive numbers of a rare flower, and bush tucker, endemic to the Biyan Biyan Plain in the New South Wales Barrington Tops.
Michelle Perry, Warrimay woman
Duration: 4 minutes 50 seconds

This Place: Stories of Gurlbin-wula

This is Gurlbin-wula, part of Man-galagun — where the red dirt meets the turquoise waters on the edge of Broome. A place of spirit birds, storytelling, and deep connection to land.
Broome coastline, WA
Duration: 4 minutes 25 seconds

This Place: Parlapuni

An ethereal looking rocky mountain looms over the remote mining town of Pannawonica in Western Australia's Pilbara. Some know it simply as the 'Panna hill', but Robe River Kuruma people know it as 'Parlapuni'.
Parlapuni/Panna Hill in Pilbara region, WA
Duration: 2 minutes 18 seconds

This Place: Mindil Beach

Darwin's Mindil beach was once a burial ground for Larrakia and Tiwi people.
Indigenous woman Lorraine Williams
Duration: 4 minutes 36 seconds

This Place: Heaven on earth, where the Biliar people go to speak with their creator and ancestors

Phillip Ugle is a proud Wilman Noongar man who has fought for decades to ensure the sustainability of his people's culture.
People stand on riverbank
Duration: 1 minute 51 seconds

This Place: Djimubarn, sacred rock art shelter

In Western Arnhem Land the Markani estate of the Madjawarr clan is full of stories.
Indigenous woman Merrill Girrabul stands next to rock art
Duration: 4 minutes 19 seconds

This Place: Walking in the footsteps of the Ancestors at Turikina Truwala

Theresa Sainty is a Pakana woman with a strong connection to Kunyani/Mt Wellington. Here she talks about Turikina Truwala at the foothills of the mountain and explains what this palawa kani word is translated to and what this place means to her.
Indigenous woman Theresa Sainty
Duration: 2 minutes 48 seconds

This Place

A digibook to complement the series.  Across Australia, places are known for their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander names. But what do they mean? Indigenous communities share the stories behind place names of their country.
Map of Australia with green dots indicating locations, text overlay reads "This Place"

This Place: Gununa

Johnny Williams and Karen Chong are traditional owners from Gununa, Mornington Island. The community on the island respect the land and its history and in turn the land and sea provide for them.
Indigenous man Johnny Williams
Duration: 4 minutes 20 seconds

This Place: Marrambidya Bila

Mark Saddler of Wiradjuri Country speaks of traditional walkways and how the Murrumbidgee River is central to Wagga Wagga.
Indigenous man Mark Saddler
Duration: 2 minutes 48 seconds

This Place: Little Wave Rock

Little Wave Rock is a gathering place that harbours the history and many secrets of Gamilaraay ancestors.
Gamilaraay woman Loren Ryan plays guitar
Duration: 2 minutes 46 seconds

This Place: Leanganook — His Teeth

High above the ground stands Leanganook or Mount Alexander which means 'his teeth'.
Dja Dja Wurrung man Trent Nelson stands in traditional cloak
Duration: 2 minutes 40 seconds

This Place: The Significance of the Waterways to Wangal People

Wangal people know Sydney as the place of eel Dreaming.
Uncle Jimmy Smith
Duration: 2 minutes 38 seconds

This Place: Binalup, Morning Light

Among the many significant places in Albany, on Western Australia's south coast, lies Binalup.
Coastline near Albany, WA
Duration: 3 minutes 5 seconds
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