Yanyiminga muday Ngurrawa / Walk softly on Country with me
This display of artworks is an invitation to engage with the beauty and depth of Dharug language and the rich cultural narratives it carries.
When:
6 August - November 2025
Where:
Level 3 Main Library
Artist:
Anissa Jones
Partner:
UNSW Language Festival, School of Humanities & Languages
Step into a vibrant celebration of culture and connection with this captivating display of artworks, where each piece tells a story deeply rooted in Dharug language and Indigenous heritage. Through a rich tapestry of colours and patterns, these artworks are an invitation to explore themes of community, land, and identity.
The artworks in Yanyiminga muday Ngurrawa use a combination of motifs and patterns common to traditional Dharug art, echoing the interconnectedness central to Dharug understanding of kinship and belonging. Reference to landforms, water, and native flora subtly weave in elements integral to traditional stories and practices, a reminder of the bounty provided by the natural world. These works assert the continuous presence and resilience of Indigenous culture on this land, honouring the deep, enduring relationship between the Dharug people and their ancestral Country.
This display is not just a collection of images; it's a visual glossary and an invitation to engage with the beauty and depth of Dharug language and the rich cultural narratives it carries.
This display is in partnership the School of Humanities & Languages in celebration of the UNSW Language Festival 2025.
Join the artist, Anissa Jones, at UNSW Library for free Dharug language workshops during UNSW Language Festival, 24-25 September 2025. Times will be announced closer to the date.
About the artist
"Warami. Ngaya giyara Anissa. Ngaya Burubirangal Dharug Dhiyin. Ngaya Marrangurrabirang. Bayady’u Dharug Dhalang, dhalang Warrangin."
"Hello. My name is Anissa. I am a Burubirangal Dharug woman from Marrangurra (Richmond). I speak the Dharug tongue, the language of Warrang (Sydney)."
Anissa Jones is the Indigenous Academic Specialist for UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture, and works with staff to embed Aboriginal Perspectives across the curriculum.
Top image: Gudbali Ngurra / Fragmented Country by Anissa Jones.
Accessibility: UNSW Main Library is wheelchair accessible and the exhibition includes large-text artwork labels. Displays and explanatory texts can be seen and read from a seated position. Listening to the Dharug language recordings requires a mobile phone or tablet that can read QR codes. Recordings are in Dharug language only, written English translations are available on the website.
Introduction to artworks in Dharug
Artist Anissa Jones speaks about her artworks featured in Yanyiminga muday Ngurrawa in Dharug language. The approximate run time is 1 minute and 25 seconds.
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Yanyinminga muday Ngurrawa
Walk softly on Country with me
Ngiyala wagul yiyura Warranga
We are the first peoples of Sydney
Ngalawadyinyi yinyam wagul guwing barabi, garriganga bulgagu
We have been here since the first sunrise, from the oceans to the mountains
Wingara dyurali Dharug Ngurrawa
Learn and grow on Dharug Ngurra (Country/land)
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Nhaala magura bugidyi badhuwa? Duwabilidyawu barabawa gibawa.
See the fish swimming in the water? They are hiding between the reeds and rocks. -
Yanmadyingi gubalyi ngurrawa. Gurugal dabuwa yiyura gawidyangi yinyam. Yagu gudbalyi.
We walk on broken Country. Long ago white man came here. Today it is broken.
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Warada daringyal bugidyi garriganga. Garrigang dhanayi gunyara.
Beautiful stingray swimming in the ocean. The ocean is its home.
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Dyirang buwadya guru. Dhangurradyumi yarrawa?
The wind blows through the leaves. Do you see them dancing in the tree?
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Ngarradyi. Ngalawadyi. Wingaradyi. Yanyiminga Ngurrawa. Dyurali.
Listen. Sit. Learn. Walk with me on Country. Grow.
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Dharug Yiyura yanmaladya ngurrawa baranyiin barribugu.
The Dharug people have walked this Country from yesterday to today.
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Gulbanga wagul yiyuragu ngurra bimalgu. Bulbuwul budbud. Bulbuwul wingara.
Respect First Nations People and their homelands. Strong hearts. Strong minds.
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Nhaady’u marri warada bulgawa. Dyarri. Dabuwa. Warada.
I see many waratahs near the mountains. Red. White. Beautiful.
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Guwi ngalawadyiminga guwianga. Bayaya midigaa.
Come sit with me near the fire. Let’s talk friend.
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Marri dhiyin narawang bangadya nawi warranga. Maguridyawi mudyingu. Maanmawi marri magura!
Many women row their canoes to Warrang. They fish for family. They caught lots of fish. Let’s eat!
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Ngiyini nhaalarra dhangurrarra guruburi guwianga.
Do you see them dancing at the Corroboree around the fire?
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Dhanayi mudyin Dharug Yiyura. Yiyura Warranga. Wagulgu Yiyura.
My family are the Dharug people, the people of Sydney. First peoples.