This 5 minute presentation will briefly introduce the examples of Indigenous people's use of English in the Melbourne area in the first 10 years after the foundation of Melbourne. The data will be mostly taken from the manuscripts of William Thomas (1793-1867) who was Assistant Protector of Aborigines, but also from the Protector of Aborigines, George Augustus Robinson (1791-1866).

Thomas recorded a number of very detailed descriptions of interactions with Indigenous people, such as this, spoken near Healesville on the evening of 26th August 1840, in which one old man

'wisper’d to me “no you gago, wild black fellow take-em out fat no you marminarta gago karberin turnit,” finding me resolute however he said in a low tone "me take you, no you talk",

The paper will briefly overview the types of interactions recorded and the kind of English employed in them.