"Deadly": Exploring the Meaning Behind a Recognizable Aboriginal English Word

The word "deadly" has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

I was born in the Kimberley and raised in Broome with Nyul Nyul and Bardi heritage from my mum's side, Malaysian heritage from my grandfather, who came to town to work in the pearling industry, and Irish and Scottish heritage from my dad's side.

I grew up hearing the word at community events, around family, on the sports field, and through Aboriginal media.

And for this year's week-long NAIDOC celebrations, which officially kick off across Australia on Sunday, "deadly" is at the forefront, with NAIDOC marking "50 Years of Deadly".

Finding my voice

As a kid in the 1990s, I remember the Deadly Awards and the pride that came with seeing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people recognised and celebrated for their achievements in music, sport, the arts and community leadership.

Much of my upbringing was also shaped by my mum's involvement in community organisations and committees.

Through that, I spent a lot of time around people who were working to create opportunities for Aboriginal people and strengthen communities.

One of those opportunities led me to the local Indigenous community radio station, where I first got involved in broadcasting.

Working in Indigenous media gave me a front row seat to the growth in Aboriginal storytelling. I saw the importance of Aboriginal people being able to tell their own stories, in their own voices, from their own perspectives. For me, that was deadly too.

What interests me about this year's NAIDOC theme is that while "deadly" is one of the most recognisable words in Aboriginal English, I suspect it means something slightly different to everyone who uses it.

I'm curious to explore what deadly means to mob around the country, how those meanings reflect the journey of the last 50 years and how they help others understand what Aboriginal people might mean when they use "deadly".

What does 'deadly' mean?

Far from its standard English meaning of something that causes death, the adjective and adverb evokes pride and excitement.

Glenys Dale Collard, a proud Nyungar woman who grew up in Western Australia's South-West, said "deadly" was something positive.

Inducted into WA's Women's Hall of Fame in 2025, Ms Collard has spent almost three decades working with Nyungar people and Aboriginal English, and has extensive knowledge in Indigenous language preservation and education.

Ms Collard said it was important to acknowledge the history and truth-telling behind the word's interpretation, which dates back to colonisation.

"They were the clever ones who took those words … they didn't know what they meant so they made their own meaning," she said.

Deadly music connections

For Ngadju Muddawonga man Jason Dimer, country music has been a "deadly" way of connecting people together.

"I think it's an amalgamation of it all and a celebration that oversees the achievements that we've made across those years," said the singer-songwriter from the central to south Goldfields region of WA.

"I think it''s important we go out there with a plan, our goals and our vision, and start achieving them so we can leave legacies for our children and people to come," he added.

'Blak and proud'

Gooniyandi and Kija man Vincent Carter said "deadly" was about representing "yourself, your mob and where you come from".

"Deadly just means being blak and proud," said Mr Carter, who attended a NAIDOC reconciliation walk in Broome with hundreds of others.

In the East Kimberley, Kija woman Maxine Gore spoke of how "deadly" was used to praise others.

Between two worlds

For some First Nations people, including Eastern Arrernte woman Armani Francois, the word was "kinda confusing" growing up.

"I went to a school where no-one else said deadly how I said deadly. Deadly was 'deadly poisonous' or 'deadly poison dart frog,'" the 21-year-old said.

Ms Francois, from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, said the place and people within her community were the epitome of deadly.

For Ngarluma, Banjima and Yamatji woman Nyima Tucker, who was born in the Pilbara city of Karratha, this year's NAIDOC theme represents the "history of black fellas and how far we've come and all of our achievements and future achievements to come".

"It means determination for all of the mob before me who have fought in this country for all of us brothers here today," she said.

The rivers, a comic and a boxing ring

Charlie Abra from New South Wales's Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council runs wellbeing programs for women, whom she described as deadly.

"If I was to use 'deadly', it's the deadly women that come into our programs. It's our elders continually passing down their stories and knowledge," the Gamilaraay woman said.

Her community is also a source of pride, as is the Gomeroi/Kamilaroi country she lives on.

Further south in Albury, Masters Boxing Champion and Wiradjuri man Buddy Oldman said deadly was about strength.

When he's not in the ring, he works to erase the stigma about men's mental health and helps with suicide prevention.

"[Deadly] gets said a lot to me because I do a lot with the boxing with the younger generation," he said.

"It's also about courage. It's about awesome, happy times and just a term that just describes Aboriginal people full stop," he said.

For Brian (Barney) Harrison from Wotjobaluk country in regional Victoria, deadly is a "positive reflection" meaning "something good, exciting, excellent".

A registered nurse with Goolum Goolum, Mr Harrison was involved in a long-term health promotional tool to tackle Indigenous smoking, playing Deadly Dan who protects children from harms of smoking.

"I use it every day. I work as a registered nurse here, so if anyone comes in, they're like, 'Oh my health is good', I'm like, 'Yep, that's deadly,'" Mr Harrison said.

The next 50 years

For me, deadly was always just a word I'd grown up hearing.

But after listening to voices from across the country, I've realised it's much more than that. It's pride, survival, family, humour, culture and identity, all wrapped into one word that connects mob across hundreds of nations.

That's what makes 50 Years of Deadly such a fitting NAIDOC theme.

It's not just about looking back, it's about celebrating the deadly people who brought us here and believing the next 50 years can be even deadlier.