By DYLAN DE JONG 

Unearthing a lost language commonly spoken in the Wimmera more than 200 years ago is at the heart of a revitalisation project unfolding in Dimboola.  

‘Piecing together the puzzle’ is how Wotjobaluk woman Robyn Lauricella describes major plans to recover her native tongue, the Wergaia language. 

Her family, including brother Wotjobaluk man Geoffrey Marks and mother elder Aunty Hazel McDonald, will officially open a language and cultural learning centre in the town on Saturday. 

The family is working with First Languages and Arts Training Indigenous Corporation, a group established in January 2020 to address the large gap in first language speakers in Victoria.

Dhagung Wurrung elder and linguist Aunty Lee Healy, who recovered her native language Taungurung, will help the family and corporation to further establish the Wergaia language. 

Mrs Lauricella, who will be a community engagement officer at the centre, said plans were to establish programs by February 2021 to invite Traditional Owners and the broader community to learn the language and culture. 

“Having a Wotjobaluk knowledge place in Dimboola is for all Traditional Owners who want to come and learn,” she said.

“We are proud of who we are and where we live and our culture. I believe it will make our ancestors proud, knowing the language will be passed on, because we are learning our culture – we are learning our language.” 

Mrs Lauricella said it would be ‘crucial’ to invite the whole community to engage in the centre’s programs to ensure a lifeline for the ancient language the Wotjobaluk people spoke for thousands of years. 

“We visit other places across the country and First Nations people are speaking their language. It’s great hearing the other languages, but we sit back and think we wish we had that,” she said. 

“It’s disheartening because we feel like we are losing it. It feels like you’re losing part of your identity. It’s going to be great for the whole Wimmera and our people to have a centre like this –  it’s not only for Traditional Owners, but also non-Traditional Owners in the wider community.” 

Before colonisation, there were about 250 indigenous languages spoken in Australia, including more than 40 in Victoria. Of the Victorian languages, 38 are now considered endangered.

Wotjobaluk Traditional Owners and First Nation organisations have been restoring the Wergaia language over the past two decades.  

In 2007, a consultation process helped form a booklet with Wergaia-sourced words and phrases. However, Mrs Lauricella said it was becoming increasingly uncommon for the Wergaia language to be spoken across the region.  

“Our ancestors spoke the language and it was passed on to a point, but we never got it taught to us and our parents were never taught,” she said. 

“Our mum is a Wotjobaluk elder and never got taught how to speak her own language but she’s learning it herself and wants to teach her kids and her grandkids. There’s only a handful of people still learning and there’s not a lot of people who know how to speak it.” 

Culture hub

Mrs Lauricella said the centre would also be a hub to learn about First Nations art and culture as well as provide wraparound support services for social enterprise development, creating a business pathway for emerging indigenous artisans. 

“The centre is not only to come in and learn language – it’s about coming in and having a yarn about culture or going with Geoffrey out on country,” she said. 

Mr Marks, who will be the centre’s cultural heritage project officer, said he hoped the centre could eventually teach the Wergaia language in schools across the region. 

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