John Rudder
Encyclopedia
John Rudder, Ph.D.
, has studied the Australian Aboriginal languages
, of Arnhem Land
(Gupapuyngu) in the Northern Territory
and the state of New South Wales
(Wiradjuri
), Australia
.
. In that time he learned to speak the language of the region, and analysed its grammar
and syntax
.
He sought to gain formal educational qualifications after moving to Canberra
, and has since gained a Master's degree in Anthropology
focussing on Aboriginal Classificatory Theory and Cognitive
Structures and a Doctor of Philosophy
degree in Aboriginal Anthropology focusing on Yolngu
Cosmology
(focusing on beliefs regarding the nature of existence and how the world is ordered.)
From 1993 to 2010, Rudder was heavily involved, with Stan Grant
, an elder
of the Wiradjuri
people, in reclaiming the Wiradjuri language
that was at that time effectively dead, even though this is arguably the biggest tribe in New South Wales
. He took anthropological studies and records amounting to the records of fewer than 2,000 words and applied the language and cognitive analysis he had previously applied to the Yolngu language, to begin to reconstruct the Wiradjuri language
. With Grant, who provided a sense of the language remembered from his youth in World War II
among Wiradjuri-speaking family and tribal members, notably his grandfather, they have established training sessions to teach the language across Wiradjuri country. Intensive weekend camps, workshops, and other sessions have seen a growing number of Wiradjuri speakers who are beginning to re-establish the language. For instance, these speakers are beginning to write songs and poems that are then being taught to children.
Secondary effects of the cultural use of the Wiradjuri language are being felt within the language group, and beyond. Examples are:
for many years, previously entering the Blake Prize for Religious Art
. He recently returned to painting
, and his entry was selected for display in the exhibition of the inaugural Phoenix Prize for spiritual art
in 2005.
.
Until her death in 2008 he was married to Trixie, a part-time lay
pastor
for a congregation of the Uniting Church at Gunning
, near Canberra.
In December 2010 he remarried and moved to Sydney. His second wife Dr Julie Waddy PhD OAM
worked as an ethnobiologist and linguist working with the Anglican Church Missionary Society on Groote Eylandt
in the Northern Territory
with the aboriginal people for 30 years, and returned to Sydney in 2005.
John says that his relationships - what most white Australians would call friendships and family - are mostly with the Aboriginal people.
.
Rudder's publications include:
In July 2006, the Parkes
Shire Library (central west NSW) inaugurated its collection of books on Wiradjuri attended by Wiradjuri language students from Primary schools at Forbes
, Peak Hill
and Central West Christian School, whose teachers were learning from Rudder and Grant.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, has studied the Australian Aboriginal languages
Australian Aboriginal languages
The Australian Aboriginal languages comprise several language families and isolates native to the Australian Aborigines of Australia and a few nearby islands, but by convention excluding the languages of Tasmania and the Torres Strait Islanders...
, of Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
(Gupapuyngu) in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(Wiradjuri
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
), Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Work
In 1964, Rudder went to Arnhem Land as a teacher, and later as a community development worker and educator among adult Indigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. In that time he learned to speak the language of the region, and analysed its grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
and syntax
Syntax
In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....
.
He sought to gain formal educational qualifications after moving to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, and has since gained a Master's degree in Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
focussing on Aboriginal Classificatory Theory and Cognitive
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
Structures and a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree in Aboriginal Anthropology focusing on Yolngu
Yolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
Cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
(focusing on beliefs regarding the nature of existence and how the world is ordered.)
Language teaching
Stan Grant (Wiradjuri elder)
Stanley Vernard "Stan" Grant, Sr. AM is an Elder of the Wiradjuri tribe of Indigenous Australians from what is now the south-west inland region of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-Background and language work:...
, an elder
Elder (administrative title)
The term Elder is used in several different countries and organizations to indicate a position of authority...
of the Wiradjuri
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
people, in reclaiming the Wiradjuri language
Wiradjuri language
Wiradjuri is a Pama–Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup. It was the traditional language of the Wiradjuri people of Australia, but is no longer in general use. The process of reclaiming the language was greatly assisted by the publication in 2005 of A First Wiradjuri Dictionary by elder...
that was at that time effectively dead, even though this is arguably the biggest tribe in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. He took anthropological studies and records amounting to the records of fewer than 2,000 words and applied the language and cognitive analysis he had previously applied to the Yolngu language, to begin to reconstruct the Wiradjuri language
Wiradjuri language
Wiradjuri is a Pama–Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup. It was the traditional language of the Wiradjuri people of Australia, but is no longer in general use. The process of reclaiming the language was greatly assisted by the publication in 2005 of A First Wiradjuri Dictionary by elder...
. With Grant, who provided a sense of the language remembered from his youth in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
among Wiradjuri-speaking family and tribal members, notably his grandfather, they have established training sessions to teach the language across Wiradjuri country. Intensive weekend camps, workshops, and other sessions have seen a growing number of Wiradjuri speakers who are beginning to re-establish the language. For instance, these speakers are beginning to write songs and poems that are then being taught to children.
Secondary effects of the cultural use of the Wiradjuri language are being felt within the language group, and beyond. Examples are:
- recognition of the Wiradjuri as a cultural group within the wider society
- use of Wiradjuri words in communities, and in Australian usage
- teaching of Wiradjuri to New South Wales Primary School children
Art
Rudder has been an artistArtist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
for many years, previously entering the Blake Prize for Religious Art
Blake Prize for Religious Art
The Blake Prize for Religious Art is an annual art prize in Australia.The prize was established in 1949 as an incentive to raise the standard of religious art. Founded by Mr R. Morley, the Reverend Michael Scott SJ, Rector of Newman College, University of Melbourne, and lawyer Mrs M. Tenison, it...
. He recently returned to painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, and his entry was selected for display in the exhibition of the inaugural Phoenix Prize for spiritual art
Phoenix Prize for spiritual art
The Phoenix Prize for spiritual art is a biennial open art prize with a value of A$5,000, based at the Australian National University, awarded first in 2005...
in 2005.
Personal life
Rudder has been a member of the Uniting Church in AustraliaUniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
.
Until her death in 2008 he was married to Trixie, a part-time lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
for a congregation of the Uniting Church at Gunning
Gunning, New South Wales
Gunning is a town on the Old Hume Highway, between Goulburn and Yass in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, about 260 km south-west of Sydney and 75 km north of the national capital, Canberra. On Census night 2006, Gunning had a population of 487 people...
, near Canberra.
In December 2010 he remarried and moved to Sydney. His second wife Dr Julie Waddy PhD OAM
OAM
OAM is an acronym that may refer to:*OA&M, Operations, Administration, and Maintenance*Oamaru Aerodrome, New Zealand*Object access method*Observatorio Astronómico de Mallorca, an observatory in Spain*U.S...
worked as an ethnobiologist and linguist working with the Anglican Church Missionary Society on Groote Eylandt
Groote Eylandt
Groote Eylandt is the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northeastern Australia. It is the homeland of, and is owned by, the Anindilyakwa people who speak the isolated Anindilyakwa language)....
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
with the aboriginal people for 30 years, and returned to Sydney in 2005.
John says that his relationships - what most white Australians would call friendships and family - are mostly with the Aboriginal people.
Publications
Rudder has self-published a book on the counting (relationship) system of Australian Aborigines, has produced teaching materials for his courses in aboriginal speaking and thought, and is in the process of completing an Aboriginal–English dictionary. His recent writing has been extensively in collaboration with Stan Grant (Wiradjuri elder)Stan Grant (Wiradjuri elder)
Stanley Vernard "Stan" Grant, Sr. AM is an Elder of the Wiradjuri tribe of Indigenous Australians from what is now the south-west inland region of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-Background and language work:...
.
Rudder's publications include:
- Rudder, John; Yolu Cosmology: An Unchanging Cosmos Incorporating a Rapidly Changing World, DPhil thesisThesisA dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
, Australian National UniversityAustralian National UniversityThe Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, 1993 - An Introduction to Aboriginal Art
- An Introduction to Aboriginal Mathematics
- The Natural World of the Yolngu: The Aboriginal People of North East Arnhem LandArnhem LandThe Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
- Aboriginal Religion and the Dreaming
- The Bark Paintings of North East Arnhem Land
- Learning Wiradjuri 1-5 (graded texts)
- Learning Wiradjuri 1&2 CD
- A Teaching Wiradjuri Support CD
- Eric Looks for a Friend (PowerPoint book)
- Wiradjuri Language Songs for Children
- Wiradjuri Language Song Book 2
- CD of Wiradjuri Language Songs
- Wiradjuri Language – How it works: A Grammar in Everyday English
- Wiradjuri Language A First Dictionary of Wiradjuri
- Wiradjuri Sentence Book
- Wiradjuri Language Black Line Poster Masters
- Wiradjuri Language Black Line Masters – Book 1 (Colouring-in)
- Wiradjuri Language Black Line Masters –Book 2– Learn to Draw
- Wiradjuri Language Colouring-in Books 1 and 2
- Wiradjuri Language Learn to Draw Books 1 and 2
- English Language Blackline Poster Masters of Australian Natural Science & People
- Unlabelled Blackline Poster Masters of Australian Natural Science & People
- Towards Holiness, (2007), ISBN 0-86942-143-3, Restoration House
In July 2006, the Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
Shire Library (central west NSW) inaugurated its collection of books on Wiradjuri attended by Wiradjuri language students from Primary schools at Forbes
Forbes, New South Wales
-Notable residents:*Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court*NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes....
, Peak Hill
Peak Hill, New South Wales
Peak Hill is a town in Parkes Shire in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Peak Hill had a population of 946 people.It is on the Newell Highway and the Dubbo to Parkes railway line, completed to Peak Hill in 1910...
and Central West Christian School, whose teachers were learning from Rudder and Grant.
See also
- List of Indigenous Australian group names
- YolnguYolnguThe Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
- Yolngu MathaYolngu MathaYolŋu Matha is a cover term for the languages of the Yolngu , the Indigenous people of northeast Arnhem Land in northern Australia. .Yolngu languages have a fortis–lenis contrast in plosive consonants...
- WiradjuriWiradjuriThe Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
- Wiradjuri languageWiradjuri languageWiradjuri is a Pama–Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup. It was the traditional language of the Wiradjuri people of Australia, but is no longer in general use. The process of reclaiming the language was greatly assisted by the publication in 2005 of A First Wiradjuri Dictionary by elder...