UC EVENTS

Colonisation in Australia resulted in loss of First Nations Australian culture and language. One family that have worked very hard in revitalising the Wiradjuri language is the Grant family. Through their work, in collaboration with Dr John Rudder, the Wiradjuri language is now taught widely throughout Wiradjuri Country (and wider).

Aunty Elaine Lomas, a member of the Grant family and speaker of Wiradjuri language, will gift the University of Canberra with her knowledge and explain the history of the recovery of Wiradjuri language. She will detail how Wiradjuri language has grown from words recorded in archives and heard in secret, to now being taught as a Graduate Certificate and widely used throughout the Wiradjuri community.

Short biography:

Elaine is a proud Wiradjuri woman originally from Griffith, South Western NSW. She Grew up listening to her Elders speaking Wiradjuri Language in secret. This ignited the passion to openly learn and speak it. She often used traditional Wiradjuri words when speaking about Wiradjuri Country. Elaine has worked for many years as a NSW Public Servant in the areas of all things Aboriginal, NSW Aboriginal Health - Health Coordinator, NSW Aboriginal Affairs – Director Aboriginal Community Development Program, NSW Department of Housing, Divisional Manager Aboriginal Housing, and within the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector, NACCHO – Operations Manager and AMS Western Sydney both as a Board Member and a Staff Member.

She has a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health from UNSW 2013 and in December 2018 Elaine graduated from Charles Sturt University Wagga with a Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language Culture and Heritage. She lives in Canberra and works as a Cultural Advisor for Coordinare SE NSW Primary Health Network. She serves on the following Boards: Wiradjuri Christian Development Ministries, Evonne Gooolagong Foundation, Yerrabi yurwang Child & Family Aboriginal Corporation, Diz Footprints Aboriginal Educational Program, and Aboriginal Elders Advisory Council OzChild.