Ben Murray

Ben Murray or Benno Murray, also named, Parlku-nguyu-thangkayiwarna (21 December 1893 - 26 August 1994) was an Afghan/Arabana/Thirari man who worked as a stockman, cameleer, linguist and story teller. He worked closely with linguists, include Luise Hercus, from the 1960s to the 1980s in a number of languages including Thirari, a language closely related to Diyari, which he was considered the last fluent speaker of.

Murray's Arabana name was Parlku-nguyu-thangkayiwarna which, translated, means ‘bank of clouds settling down’ or 'a single cloud remaining stationary for a little while'.

Early life Murray was born at Frome Creek, just outside of Hergott Springs, now known as Marree, in South Australia. He was the son of Dervish Bejah, an Afghan cameleer who had been born in Baluchistan, in what is now Pakistan, and his mother was Karla-warru (also known as Annie Murray), who was an Arabana and Thirari woman.

When Murray was a small child, in around 1897, his mother took him to Muloorina Station where much of her family, including her parents, lived. From his grandfather, who was known to many as 'King Walter', Murray learnt much about his culture and lands and, to do so, would travel with him regularly. Together they would travel as far as Birdsville, a distance of on foot.

Following the completion of this project Murray took a job working patrolling the dingo fence at Murnpeowie Station. In this role he would build a bush hut as a home but often travelled for long periods of time while patrolling the fence. He worked alongside his brother-in-law, Gottlieb Merrick, who was married to his sister and they worked with camels on their patrols.

As a part of this Murray would often travel with them to remote parts of South Australia and he would identify important sites and link them, through storytelling, to his traditional knowledge.

Description Some of Murray's closest associates described him as: