The Ngarrindjeri, Narrunga and Kaurna Languages Project released Narrunga, Kaurna & Ngarrindjeri songs (with cassette), an early, practical resource that helped catalyze community-based language learning and teaching activity that later fed directly into Kaurna reclamation work in Adelaide.
Kaurna was introduced as a language program at Kaurna Plains School (Elizabeth, Adelaide’s northern suburbs). This marked a key shift from reconstruction work into ongoing education delivery in Kaurna Country.
Kaurna teaching expanded into senior secondary and adult education programs at Elizabeth City High School and Elizabeth West Adult Campus, supporting broader learner pathways beyond primary schooling.
A Kaurna linguistics course was introduced at the University of Adelaide, helping to embed Kaurna reclamation in higher education teaching and research, and strengthening documentation and pedagogy capacity.
Linguist Rob Amery completed a PhD at the University of Adelaide on Kaurna language reclamation from written historical sources, providing a major scholarly foundation for subsequent community-driven development and teaching.
Kaurna Paltinna: a Kaurna song book was published through Kaurna Plains School, providing song-based learning materials (with glossary) that supported classroom use and community uptake of reclaimed Kaurna.
A series of workshops (supported by a University of Adelaide grant) helped consolidate community and researcher collaboration and set the stage for creating a standing forum to handle growing requests for Kaurna words, translations, and guidance.
Kaurna Elders Alitya Wallara Rigney and Lewis Yerloburka O’Brien, with linguist Rob Amery, established Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi (KWP) (“creating Kaurna language”). KWP became a central forum guiding Kaurna word creation, translations, and community-informed language development.
KWP began being hosted by the University of Adelaide, strengthening institutional support for meetings, resource development, and responsiveness to community and public requests for Kaurna language work.
Funding through the Commonwealth Indigenous Languages Support (ILS) program enabled a more resourced KWP project team, supporting expanded language development and service to education and community needs.
The first accredited training for future Kaurna community teachers commenced, reflecting a maturation of the revival movement from resource creation into building a qualified teaching workforce.
Nine Kaurna people completed a TAFE Certificate III in Learning an Endangered Aboriginal Language (Kaurna), building structured pathways for language learning and the development of future educators.
The first Kaurna Language Week was held in Adelaide, reflecting growing public use and visibility of Kaurna and signaling the movement’s expansion beyond classrooms into broader civic and cultural life.
KWP’s regular meetings continued to respond to requests for Kaurna words, translations, and guidance; University of Adelaide documentation notes this pattern continued until 2014, after which a successor body was established to carry the work forward.
Kaurna Warra’s online materials expanded with publicly released learning content (e.g., children’s-focused videos), supporting wider access for learners and schools in the Adelaide region.
Kaurna language reclamation and revival in Adelaide (1990–2015)
