'Auntie not here to see it': first dictionary of Indigenous Australian language published

Sisters helped compile Umpithamu lexicon, but knew they would likely die before its completion

The first dictionary of the dying Indigenous Australian language of Umpithamu has been completed by a Belgian professor after 17 years of research - but not before its last two active speakers passed away.

Jean-Christophe Verstraete, a professor of linguistics at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, worked closely with sisters Florrie Bassani and Joan Liddy on a 500-page book and an audio app on which their voices were recorded for posterity.