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Partnership to Unearth First Nations Languages from Australian Museum Archives

Australian Museum

Key Facts:

• The Australian Museum and the Aboriginal Languages Trust have been awarded $2.5 million in funding for the First Nations Community Access to Archives (FNCAA) project, which will improve First Nations communities' access to significant cultural archives.
• The project will draw on approximately one million pages of archival material to reconnect First Nations peoples of NSW with records relating to kinship, stories, cultures, and languages.
• Five First Nations staff will be employed through the project, which directly supports the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the Aboriginal Languages Trust's Strategic Plan commitments.
• The FNCAA project has three core objectives: improving access to archival materials for language revitalisation; building a culturally safe pathway for communities to engage with collections; and developing the First Nations archivist and museum workforce.
• The partnership will enhance collection records, offer greater accessibility through digitisation, and ensure the project is First Nations-led to meet the language needs of NSW communities.

Sydney, 7 July 2026: The Australian Museum (AM) and the Aboriginal Languages Trust (ALT) have been awarded $2.5 million in funding to deliver a landmark discovery project that will transform First Nations communities' access to one of Australia's most significant cultural archives.

The First Nations Community Access to Archives (FNCAA) project will draw on around one million pages of archival material to reconnect First Nations peoples of NSW with archival materials relating to Kinship, Stories, Cultures and Languages.

The project directly supports the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the ALT's Strategic Plan commitments and will enable the employment of five First Nations staff to enable access for First Nations peoples to archive materials.

Brendan Moyle, Executive Director, Aboriginal Languages Trust said the funding marked a significant step in accessing important resources for the revitalisation of NSW Aboriginal Languages and Cultures.

"Aboriginal Languages carry our knowledge, identity and connection to Country. Communities across NSW have called for greater access to their archived records and are leading the important work of reclaiming and reawakening Language knowledge. This project will help communities access significant archival materials that support Language revitalisation and cultural renewal, ensuring valuable knowledge held in archives can be returned to the people and communities it belongs to," Brendan Moyle, Executive Director, Aboriginal Languages Trust, said.

Australian Museum Director of First Nations, Laura McBride, said the project reflected the AM's deep commitment to ensuring First Nations peoples can access, engage and interpret their cultural heritage materials within the AM archive.

"The Australian Museum stores materials of profound significance to First Nations communities across NSW and by partnering with the ALT we will be able to apply deeper cultural interrogation, enhance collection records, and offer greater accessibility of records via digitisation. This partnership increases the capacity to share this important resource with Aboriginal communities. The partnership ensures the project is First Nations led and meets the language needs of NSW communities," Laura McBride said.

The FNCAA project will pursue three core objectives: improving First Nations communities' access to archival materials for Language revitalisation; building a culturally safe pathway for communities to engage with archival collections; and developing the First Nations archivist and museum workforce through the employment and training of First Nations professionals within the sector.

The AM's cultural collections include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Collections, Aboriginal Archaeology, Pasifika Cultural Collections, World Cultures, Rare Books Library and Archives, which collectively represent an invaluable record of First Nations peoples, their cultures and their languages.

ENDS

For media inquiries, contact Clare Patience via [email protected]

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About the Australian Museum

The nation’s first museum, the Australian Museum (AM) was founded in 1827 and will mark its 200-year anniversary in 2027. It is internationally recognised as a natural science and culture institution focused on Australia and the Pacific. The AM holds more than 22 million objects and specimens in its collection, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It pursues a mission to ignite wonder, inspire debate and drive change. The AM’s vision is to be a leading voice for the richness of life, the Earth and culture in Australia and the Pacific and commits to transforming the conversation around climate change, the environment and wildlife conservation; being a strong advocate for First Nations cultures; and continuing to develop world-leading science through the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI). The AM is not only a dynamic source of reliable scientific information on the environmental and social challenges facing our region, but also a trusted site of cultural exchange and learning. Visit www.australian.museum

Contact details:

For media inquiries, contact Clare Patience via [email protected]