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Introduction
The languages of the southern part of this region (around Geraldton) have mainly been studied by Douglas and Dunn in the 1970s. 'Yamatji' ('Yamadyi' or 'Yamaji') is the local word for 'Aboriginal man' and is the term currently in use for anyone of Aboriginal descent who was born in the district (Douglas 1981:200) as well as for the languages of the district (especially Badimaya and Wajarri). Very little has been recorded of the other languages of the region and little is known of the relationships of dialects to languages.
Morphy (1985) refers to a vocabulary collected by Bates which is of '"'Bijjabirdee's wonga'"' from Milly Milly Station (Bates n.d.74). Morphy says it shares features with Inggarda but is definitely a different language. She also suggests that Nanakarti was the language spoken around Carnamah and Gullewa, perhaps to the coast, based on five of Bates's vocabularies (n.d.33, n.d.66, n.d.82, n.d.84, n.d.91). Brandenstein (1991) says that the Watjarri word Nhanhakarti means 'this way' and refers to Wirtimaya. Adam's (1886) vocabulary of Natingero apparently comes from the east of this area, but is sufficiently different for Morphy to include Natingero as a separate language of the area.
Douglas reports the following language for which no more is known:
Pulinya : At and north of Geraldton. (Pulanya in Brandenstein 1991 p.c.).
Tindale reports the following names for which nothing more is known about the language:
Ninanu : on the Lyons and North Lyons rivers west to Mount Phillips and to Peedawarra Bluff; east to eastern end of Teano Range; south to about Mount Augustus (also known as Ngaunmardi ).
Nokaan : from Curbur south to Yallalong and Coolcalaya; south to near Northampton.
Further, Brandenstein (p.c.) reports the location of Nugan as south-east boundary with Watjarri, Middle Murchison River, latest centre Yallalong, NW as far as Hamelin Pool, and that the last speaker died in 1967. He says (1991) that Nhukaan is Taakurta.
General Work
Adam, T. (1886) 'Vocabulary no.29, Two hundred miles north-east of Newcastle: Natingero tribe', pp.380-383 in E.M.Curr, The Australian race, Vol.1 .
Austin, P. (1987) Gascoyne-Ashburton Project, Project Report 6, Spelling of Language names, Linguistics Division, La Trobe University.
Austin, P. (1988a) 'Aboriginal languages of the Gascoyne - Ashburton region', pp.43-63 in La Trobe Working Papers in Linguistics 1.
Bates, D.M. (1906a) 'The marriage laws and some customs of the West Australian Aborigines', pp.36-60 in the Victorian Geographical Journal, 1905-1906: Vol.13/14.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.13) Initiation - Murchison and surrounding districts, typescript copy of MS, Section 4: 4a, ANL-MS365-16/131-164.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.18) Myths and legends - Murchison tribes; Myths and legends - North-West, typescript copy of MS, Section 7; ANL-MS365-26/277-285 ; ANL-MS365-25/561-640.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.22) Names of places on the Murchison, Mt Sir Samuel, Lake Way, etc., typescript copy of MS, Section 2 ; maps, ANL-MS365-4/77-101.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.44) Native vocabularies - East Murchison Magisterial District, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-55/47-52.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.45) Native vocabularies - East Murchison Magisterial District, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-55/107-120.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.75) Native vocabularies - Miscellaneous, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-57/2-16.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.78) Native vocabularies - Murchison District tribes, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-55/141-158.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.79) Native vocabularies - Murchison District, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL - MS365 Box 54-58.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.80) Native vocabularies - Murchison District, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-58/2-13.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.81) Native vocabularies - Murchison Magisterial District, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-54/52-73.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.82) Native vocabularies - Murchison Magisterial District, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-55/123-138.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.83) Native vocabularies - Murchison Magisterial District, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-56/175-193.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.84) Native vocabularies - Murchison Magisterial District, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-56/94-116.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.85) Native vocabularies - Murchison River, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2F, ANL-MS365-58/41-43.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.106) Native vocabularies - Roebourne, Gascoyne, Ashburton, De Grey, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2D, ANL-MS365 Box 48-51.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.110) Native vocabularies - South-West - Miscellaneous, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2B, ANL-MS365-46/15-34.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.111) Native vocabularies - South-West - Miscellaneous, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2B, ANL-MS365-44/16-64.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.112) Native vocabularies - South-West, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2B, ANL-MS365-43/13-54.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.113) Native vocabularies - South-Western Australia, Section 12, ANL-MS365-41/467-481.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.114) Native vocabularies - South-Western district, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 2B, ANL-MS365-46/9-14.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.127) Notes on grammar, vocabulary, etc.: additional sundry notes, various districts of WA, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 3, ANL-MS365-61/2-66.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.129) Outline of grammar [2] - Pronouns, typescript copy of MS, Section 12, 1, ANL-MS365-37/43-97.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.142) Songs, dances, etc. - Corroborees and songs, Murchison, typescript copy of MS, Section 11, ANL-MS365-35/145-155.
Bates, D.M. (n.d.148) Songs, dances, etc. - Western Australia, typescript copy of MS, Section 11, ANL-MS365-34/2-135.
Brandenstein, C. G. von (1969g) The diaries of C.G. von Brandenstein, 1964-1969, MS.
Brandenstein, C.G. von (1982a) Eighty-eight grammar text sheets, exemplifying grammatical, lexical and phraseological diversities as well as links of 25 Aboriginal languages from Western Australia, ts.
Brandenstein, C.G. von (1991) Report to Yamaji Language Centre Geraldton on the unnamed language from Three Springs, Nhanhakarti (Wirtimaya), Nhukaan = Taakurta and Wajarri, ts.
Butcher, E.N. (1877) The diary of an exploring trip to the North District of Western Australia, MS.
Correspondent no. 1438/92 (n.d.) Native vocabulary, names from Correspondent no. 1438/92, ts.
Dench, A.C. (1980) Fieldnotes on Western Australian languages taken at Onslow, WA, MS.
Fink, R.A. (1956) Fieldnotes, 8 notebooks, MS.
Fink, R.A. (1960a) The changing status and cultural identity of Western Australian Aborigines: a field study of Aborigines in the Murchison district, Western Australia, 1955-1957, PhD thesis, Columbia University.
Hooley, T. (1865) Native vocabulary, Shark Bay locality, ts.
Kingsford, R. (1982) Yamadyi law: the continuing significance of traditional Aboriginal culture in the Murchison region, Western Australia, MA thesis, UWA.
Morphy, F. (1985) Working notes on Western Australian languages. Part of an ARGS project directed by R.M.W. Dixon.
O'Grady, G.N. (1959) Significance of the circumcision boundary in Western Australia, BA thesis, University of Sydney .
O'Grady, G.N., C.F. Voegelin and F.M. Voegelin (1966) 'Languages of the world: Indo-Pacific fascicle 6', pp.1-197 in Anthropological Linguistics, Vol.8, no.2.
Scott, M.P. (1972) 'Some Aboriginal food plants of the Ashburton District, Western Australia', pp.94-96 in WA Naturalist, Vol.12, no.4.
Withers, G.H. (1939) The native tribes of the upper Murchison and upper Gascoyne, MS.
