Graham Jenkin in Conquest of the Ngarrindjeri wrote that in default of records by the Ngarrindjeri themselves on their lifestyle before the arrival of the white man, Taplin's The Narrinyeri was the next best thing. Taplin's record of their language including place names, mythology, and net making and fishing methods records a way of life that almost disappeared, and is only now being painstakingly re-learnt.

George Taplin was appointed missionary agent for the Aborigines' Friends Association in 1859. The Association established a mission at Point McLeay (Raukkan) on the eastern side of Lake Alexandrina and Taplin devoted the next 20 years of his life to studying and recording the culture of the Ngarrindjeri. His books are still consulted today.

Read a PDF of extracts from this publication (2.6 MB).

Bell, Diane. Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin : a world that is, was and will be, North Melbourne, Spinifex Press, 1998

Berndt, Ronald M. and Berndt, Catherine H. with Stanton, John E. A world that was: the Yaraldi of the Murray River and the lakes, South Australia, Vancouver: UBC Press, 1993

Jenkin, Graham. Conquest of the Ngarrindjeri, Point McLeay, Raukkan Publishers, 1995, 2nd ed

Kartinyeri, Doreen. Ngarrindjeri Nation: Genealogies of Ngarrindjeri Families, 2006

Taplin, George (ed). The Folklore, manners, customs and languages of the South Australian Aborigines, Bridgewater, 1989, edited by G. Taplin, first published 1879

Weir, Jessica. Murray River country : an ecological dialogue with traditional owners, Canberra : Aboriginal Studies Press, 2009

Woolmer, George. Traditional Ngarinyeri people: Aboriginal people of the Murray Mouth Region, Adelaide, Education Department of South Australia, 1986

ABC: George Negus Tonight - History: Indigenous river life Jenni Grace, Elder, Mid-Murray Region; Richard Hunter, Nganguraku Elder; Dr Philip A. Clarke, Head Of Anthropology, SA Museum. [07/06/2004]

Ngurunderi: an Aboriginal Dreaming [SA Museum]

Nukkan Kungun Yunnan - Ngarrindjeri's Being Heard

Stories of the Dreaming from Ngarrindjeri people of the lower River Murray area of South Australia: Thukeri Kevin Smith - narrator; Thukeri story explanation Veena Gollan - narrator