Biography.guide
Home › People › Algy Paterson
Portrait of Algy Paterson

Algy Paterson

d. 1995

Last fluent speaker of Martuthunira

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Algy Paterson

Algy Paterson was an Australian.

Algy Paterson (died 6 August 1995) was the last fluent speaker of the Martuthunira language of Western Australia.

Algy's father was a European, which made him eligible to be removed from his family by the authorities under the policy now known as the Stolen Generation. His family avoided this by hiding in the bush, where they lived a traditional nomadic lifestyle. Algy grew up speaking Martuthunira and Kurrama, and did not learn any English until he was fifteen.

From 1980 he worked with the linguist Alan Dench to preserve the Martuthunira language in writing.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Nationality

Frequently asked questions

Who was Algy Paterson?

Last fluent speaker of Martuthunira

When did Algy Paterson die?

Algy Paterson died on 6 August 1995.

What nationality was Algy Paterson?

Algy Paterson was Australian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Algy Paterson

· Wikidata: Q4724398

· DBpedia: Algy Paterson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Algy Paterson. https://biography.guide/algy-paterson/

MLA: "Algy Paterson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/algy-paterson/.

Chicago: "Algy Paterson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/algy-paterson/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 04:58 UTC