Indigenous languages & culture

Some collections may contain culturally sensitive words or descriptions. In some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, seeing images of deceased persons in photographs, film and books or hearing them in recordings may cause sadness or distress and in some cases, offend against strongly held cultural prohibitions.


Image: Typescript from Elwyn Flint papers (UQFL173)

What's in the Indigenous languages and culture collections?

Documents and recordings created by Indigenous writers, leaders and activists. Also, research compiled by anthropologists and linguists, which help to keep Indigenous languages alive.

  • Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)’s papers contain letters, literary manuscripts, photographs, speeches, reports and notes spanning over 40 years. 
  • Herb Wharton‘s papers include his drafts for short stories and novels. A former stockman, Wharton travelled across the Queensland outback, noting his observations and stories and interviewing other Indigenous stockmen.
  • Both Lilla Watson and Jackie Huggins collections document both women's commitment to Indigenous Australians, through their positions in the Social Work Department and the School of Social Work and Human Services at The University of Queensland.
  • Linguistic records in the Elwyn Flint and Bruce Sommer collections include historical field notes and recordings of languages across Queensland. These recordings have also been digitised and are available online.

Accessing our collections

You can access Fryer Library items in the FW Robinson Reading Room by appointment. Use our online form to book your visit.

Not a UQ student or staff member? Register for membership before your visit so that we can lend items to you to use in the Reading Room.

Digitised material from these collections are accessible online.


Copying from our collections

Visitors to the Fryer Library are encouraged to make their own copies in accordance with copyright law in the reading room. We have facilities and staff to assist with this.

Clients unable to visit the Fryer Library may request copies of manuscript material. Please note the processing time is 30 business days.


Citing from our collections

Find the elements required to reference unpublished manuscript material in Fryer Library collections.

Contact the Fryer Library to find out more about our collections.

Map of Queensland with pins representative of Indigenous Languages found in Fryer resources.
Explore this online resource of audio recordings, of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people speaking Indigenous languages in Queensland.