Tarndanyangga

Adelaide CBD (looking south across the Torrens River)

Tarndanyangga (34°55′50″S 138°36′15″E / 34.93056°S 138.60417°E / -34.93056; 138.60417) (Kaurna pronunciation: [ˈd̪̥aɳɖaɲaŋɡa]) is the Kaurna word for red kangaroo dreaming or red kangaroo rock, and although is one half of the official name of Victoria Square, Adelaide, it was used in Kaurna language to refer to the greater area of what is now the immediate Adelaide city region.

Etymology

Tarndanyangga derives from tarnda (red kangaroo) and kanya ('rock'), -ngga is a suffix frequently found in Kaurna place names to denote location. The name is said to originate from a former red rocky outcrop in Elder Park, Adelaide which resembled a kangaroo; the rock has since been removed and was used in the construction of Parliament House.

Significance

Aboriginal flag in Victoria Square, February 2003.

Tarndanyangga is still considered an important meeting place for Indigenous peoples. It is the focus for many political and community-based Indigenous events, such as the Journey of Healing and it is the starting point for the annual NAIDOC march to Parliament House. The Australian Aboriginal Flag was first flown here in 1971 and now flies permanently in Tarndanyangga adjacent to the Australian Flag.