Scripture Resources

General Language Information:

Location: 

The homelands of the Adnyamathanha people are the northern Flinders Ranges, in South Australia. This area lies some 500 km north of Adelaide and is approximately delineated by Lyndhurst and Moolawatana Homestead in the north-west and north-east, Lake Frome in the east, and Parachilna and Blinman in the south. Mount Serle (Atuwarapanha) and Mount McKinlay (Wayanha), located in the central north part of this area, are focal points of Adnyamathanha traditions and recent history. 

Alternative Names and Variant Spellings: 

There are two bases for the naming of the people and language of the Flinders ranges. On is based on the construction ‘Rock People/Language’, and include the variations: Atnyamathanha, Adnyamatana, Adnjamathanha, Anyamatana, Keidnamutha, Gadnyamatana, Anyamitana, Anjimatana, Adnyamathnha, Unyamootha, Atnyaarlta. Note the word kanyamatja has also been recorded from Western Desert speakers in referring to northern Flinders Ranges people and traditions.
The other name often used is based on the construction ‘People’s/This/My Language’, and has the variatios: Yura Ngawarla, Adnyamathanha Yura Ngawarla, Nimbalda, Archualda. Note the Adnyamathanha people often refer to themselves as Yura. 

Present number and distribution of speakers: 

Although only 125 people reported speaking Adnyamathanha at home in the 1996 Census, and 113 in the 2006 Census, the number of people who identify as Adnyamathanha is much greater than this figure, and would be well into the many 100s. 

Today, many Yuras live not only in the Adnyamathanha township of Nepabunna and nearby towns such as Copley, but also further south in the towns of Hawker, Quorn and Port Augusta, and also in Adelaide. Some Yura families are engaged in park-ranging duties in the Gammon Ranges National Park and so live in the park itself.