Iparrityi

Iparrityi (Ivaritji) (c. 1849–1929), born in Port Adelaide, was a respected Kaurna Elder, educator and weaver. Also known as Everity and Amelia Taylor/Savage, her Kaurna name, Iparrityi, means a gentle, misty rain. By 1909, Iparrityi was possibly the last known speaker of Kaurna language. She shared Kaurna words, genealogical details and information about Kaurna history and culture with non-Aboriginal linguists and anthropologists, as well as the Moonta Town Clerk, on the request of the Adelaide City Council. As a result of these exchanges, Iparrityi has enriched our understanding of Kaurna culture and history.

In 2012 Whitmore Square was renamed Whitmore Square/Iparrityi to commemorate her cultural significance to the City of Adelaide and to acknowledge the square as a gathering space for Aboriginal communities. The square is also named after William Wolryche Whitmore (1787–1858) who brought the South Australia Act 1834 before the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, on behalf of the South Australian Association.

Celebrating 125 years of women's suffrage in South Australia.

Image: South Australian Museum, AA124_5_4