This map measures: 841mm x 1189mm

For thousands of years, the original inhabitants of Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples occupied the lands with very different boundaries than today, centred on intimate cultural relationships with the land and sea.

“It’s my fathers land, my grandfather’s land, my grandmothers land. And I’m related to it, which also give me my identity.”
Father Dave Passi, Plaintiff in Mabo Ca​se

The map is an attempt to represent all the language, tribal or nation groups of the Indigenous peoples of Australia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups were included on the map based on the published resources available between 1988 and 1994 which determine the cultural, language and trade boundaries and relationships between groups. Regions were determined using the watershed basis as a template.

The map was developed along with the Encyclopedia of Aboriginal Australia as part of a research project. The Encyclopedia is available in libraries and contains more detailed information about the groups represented on the map.

"What was before Lord Vestey born and I born? It was blackfella country."
Vincent Lingiari (Wattie Creek 1966)

Limitations of the map

The AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia was produced for a general reading audience. The map is not definitive and is not the only information available which maps language and social groups. See also AUSTLANG.

The information on which the map is based is contested and may not be agreed to by some traditional custodians. The borders between groups are purposefully represented as slightly blurred. They do not claim to be exact.

The map was produced before native title legislation and is not suitable for use in native title or other land claims.

This map is a perfect take-home product for tourists and anyone interested in the diversity of Australia's First Nations peoples.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia is made up of many different and distinct groups, each with their own culture, customs, language and laws.

This map represents the general locations of these groups and their languages and more; but not exact or fixed boundaries. It serves as a reminder of the richness and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia.

It was created in 1996 as part of the Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia and some of the information shown on the map remains contested today.

Disclaimer:

This map attempts to represent the language, social or nation groups of Aboriginal Australia. It shows only the general locations of larger groupings of people which may include clans, dialects or individual languages in a group. It used published resources from the eighteenth century-1994 and is not intended to be exact, nor the boundaries fixed. It is not suitable for native title or other land claims.

David R Horton (creator), © AIATSIS, 1996. No reproduction without permission.