Dr Samantha Disbray
Senior Lecturer in Endangered Languages & Director of Indigenous Engagement
School of Languages and Cultures
+61 7 336 56896
Researcher biography
I am Senior Lecturer in Endangered Languages, and convenor of the Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalisation. I am also an active researcher, with several projects on Indigenous language revitalisation and maintenance in Central Australia and in Queensland.
My approach to both teaching and research is collaborative, community-guided and applied. This informed by my on-going self-reflexivity as a non-Indigenous woman and my experience living and working on unceded Kaurna, Arrernte, Warumungu, Warlpiri, Pintupi-Luritja country and, since moving to the University of Queensland in 2019, Jagera and Turrbal country.
I have supervisory expertise in Indigenous language revitalisation and the sociology of language, including languages in education, language policy and planning and language in the arts.
The research I am commited to generates both academic publications and high impact non-traditional research outputs. I have published 15 articles, 11 book chapters, 4 books, including a Warumungu learner's dictionary and a co-edited volume. I have co-developed and co-curated two exhibitions, created curriculum and learning materials, compiled a language teacher resource books and image bank for language, teaching, and co-authored commissioned reports and reviews in languages education and languages policy.
Publications
Books
Harrison, Angela and Disbray, Samantha (2022). Mangurr-jangu Mirlamirlajinjikki - Teaching and learning with pictures. Wallsend, NSW Australia: First Languages Australia.
Disbray, Samantha (2005). Warumungu Picture Dictionary. Alice Springs, NT Australia: Institute for Aboriginal Development.
Book Chapters
Crump, Des, Thompson, Larena, Fillmore, Naomi and Disbray, Samantha (2025). Teaching First Nations languages in Queensland schools. Celebrating First Nations languages and language learning in Australian schools: stories across generations of language activism, advocacy and allyship. (pp. 66-80) edited by Carly Steele, Robyn Ober and Rhonda Oliver. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003441021-7
Fillmore, Naomi, Disbray, Samantha, Haugh, Michael, Chang, Wei-Lin Melody, Crump, Des and Hashimoto, Kayoko (2024). Pathways to teaching global languages: challenges, opportunities, and implications for Asian language teachers in Australian schools. Rethinking the Asian language learning paradigm in Australia. (pp. 17-44) edited by Kayoko Hashimoto. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-74149-4_2
Hashimoto, Kayoko and Disbray, Samantha (2023). University-school partnerships. Language policy. (pp. 3-17) edited by Zia Tajeddin and Carol Griffiths. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-38754-8_1
Wigglesworth, Gillian and Disbray, Samantha (2023). Indigenous children’s language practices in Australia. The Oxford Guide to Australian Languages. (pp. 720-727) edited by Claire Bowern. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780198824978.003.0062
Disbray, Samantha and Wigglesworth, Gillian (2019). Indigenous children’s language practices in Australia. The Palgrave Handbook of Minority Languages and Communities. (pp. 357-381) edited by Gabrielle Hogan-Brun and Bernadette O’Rourke. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-54066-9_14
Disbray, Samantha and Martin, Barbara (2018). Curriculum as knowledge system: the Warlpiri theme cycle. Language practices of indigenous children and youth: the transition from home to school. (pp. 23-48) edited by Gillian Wigglesworth, Jane Simpson and Jill Vaughan. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-60120-9_2
Guenther, John, Disbray, Samantha, Benveniste, Tessa and Osborne, Sam (2017). ‘Red dirt’ schools and pathways into higher education. Indigenous pathways, transitions and participation in higher education: from policy to practice. (pp. 251-270) edited by Jack Frawley, Steve Larkin and James A. Smith. Singapore: Springer . doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-4062-7_15
Disbray, Samantha (2017). Policy and practice now. History of bilingual education in the Northern Territory: people, programs and policies. (pp. 237-246) edited by Brian Clive Devlin, Samantha Disbray and Nancy Regine Friedman Devlin. Singapore: Springer Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-2078-0_19
Disbray, Samantha and Devlin, Brian (2017). Consolidation, power through leadership and pedagogy, and the rise of accountability, 1980–1998. History of bilingual education in the northern territory: people, programs and policies. (pp. 101-112) edited by Brian Clive Devlin, Samantha Disbray and Nancy Regine Friedman Devlin. Singapore: Springer . doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-2078-0_9
Devlin, Brian, Disbray, Samantha and Devlin, Nancy (2017). A thematic history of bilingual education in the Northern Territory. History of bilingual education in the Northern Territory: people, programs and policies. (pp. 1-10) edited by Brian Clive Devlin, Samantha Disbray and Nancy Regine Friedman Devlin. Singapore: Springer Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-2078-0_1
Disbray, Samantha (2014). Evaluating the Bilingual Education Program in Warlpiri schools. Studies in Language Companion Series. (pp. 25-46) Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Company. doi: 10.1075/slcs.147.03dis
Journal Articles
Diaz, Adriana Raquel, Cordella, Marisa, Disbray, Samantha, Hanna, Barbara E. and Mikhaylova, Anna (2021). Reframing and hospicing mobility in higher education: challenges and possibilities. Intercultural Communication Education, 4 (1), 106-121. doi: 10.29140/ice.v4.n1.449
Disbray, Samantha (2020). Talking north: the journey of Australia's first Asian language. Asian Studies Review, 44 (3), 563-565. doi: 10.1080/10357823.2020.1775064
Meakins, Felicity, Disbray, Samantha and Simpson, Jane (2020). Which MATter matters in PATtern borrowing? The direction of case syncretisms. Morphology, 30 (4), 373-393. doi: 10.1007/s11525-020-09357-3
Disbray, Samantha, Plummer, Rosemary and Martin, Barbara (2020). Languages ideologies and practice from the land and the classroom. Modern Language Journal, 104 (2), 519-525. doi: 10.1111/modl.12658
Disbray, Samantha, O’Shannessy, Carmel, MacDonald, Gretel and Martin, Barbara (2020). Talking together: how language documentation and teaching practice support oral language development in bilingual education programs. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25 (4), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/13670050.2020.1767535
Disbray, Samantha (2019). Realising the Australian curriculum framework for Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages. Babel, 54 (1&2), 21-25.
Simpson, Jane Helen, Disbray, Samantha and O'Shannessy, Carmel (2019). Setting the scene: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages learning and teaching. Babel, 54 (1&2), 7-10.
Osborne, Samuel, Rigney, Lester-Irabinna, Benveniste, Tessa, Guenther, John and Disbray, Samantha (2018). Mapping boarding school opportunities for Aboriginal students from the Central Land Council Region of Northern Territory. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 48 (2), 162-178. doi: 10.1017/jie.2018.1
Disbray, Samantha (2016). The development of reference realization and narrative in an Australian contact language, Wumpurrarni English. Frontiers in Psychology, 7 43. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00043
Disbray, Samantha (2015). Spaces for learning: policy and practice for indigenous languages in a remote context. Language and Education, 30 (4), 317-336. doi: 10.1080/09500782.2015.1114629
Guenther, John, Disbray, Samantha and Osborne, Sam (2015). Building on ‘red dirt’ perspectives: what counts as important for remote education?. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 44 (2), 194-206. doi: 10.1017/jie.2015.20
Vaughan, Jill, Wigglesworth, Gillian, Loakes, Deborah, Disbray, Samantha and Moses, Karin (2015). Child-caregiver interaction in two remote Indigenous Australian communities. Frontiers in Psychology, 6 (APR) 514. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00514
Disbray, Samantha (2014). Review of Eades, D. (2013) Aboriginal ways of using English. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 37 (3), 276-279. doi: 10.1075/aral.37.3.06dis
Disbray, Samantha and Loakes, Deborah (2013). Writing Aboriginal English and Creoles: five case studies in Australian education contexts. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 36 (3), 285-301. doi: 10.1075/aral.36.3.04dis
Working Paper
Angelo, Denise, Disbray, Samantha, Singer, Ruth, O'Shannessy, Carmel, Simpson, Jane, Smith, Hilary, Meek, Barbra and Wigglesworth, Gillian (2022). Learning (in) Indigenous languages: Common ground, diverse pathways. OECD Education Working Papers. OECDiLibrary, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. doi: 10.1787/e80ad1d4-en
Creative Works
Disbray, Samantha, Johnson, Vivien, Phillipus, Charlotte, McDonald, Karen and Dixon, Roslyn (2025). Wangka Walytja: the life and times of the Papunya Literature Production Centre. Darwin, NT, Australia: Artback NT.
Disbray, Samantha, Kral, Inge and Green, Jennifer (2022). Arlkeny map-akert / Australian Indigenous Languages Image Bank ‘AILIB’. Sydney; Melbourne; Canberra, Australia: PARADISEC.
Morrison Nangali, Sandra, Plummer Narrurlu, Rosemary, Morrison Jungarray, Ronald and Disbray, Samantha (2019). Ankkinyi Apparr, Ankkinyi Mangurr – Our Language, Our Designs. Adelaide, SA, Australia: Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Indigenous Arts.
Research Reports
Disbray, Samantha, Barker, Carolyn, Raghunathan, A. and Baisden, Faith (2018). Global Lessons: Indigenous languages and multilingualism in school programs. First Languages Australia. First Language Australia Resources Wallsend, NSW Australia: First Languages Australia.
Guenther, John, Disbray, Samantha and Obsorne, Sam (2016). Red dirt education: a compilation of learnings from the Remote Education Systems project. Alice Springs, NT Australia: Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation.