There are currently 3 known non-Aboriginal Australian languages:
- Kriol
A creole language spoken by very many Aboriginal Australians throughout the continent with considerable variation. It has only recently been recognized as a true language in its own right. There are an estimated 30,000 Kriol speakers. It is also known as Roper River Creole and its SIL language code is ROP.
- Torres Strait Creole
Another creole language spoken widely throughout the Torres Strait by both the ethnically Australian and Papuan peoples, as well as in areas where islanders have migrated to on the mainland. It is also known as Yumiplatok, Cape York Creole, Torres Strait Broken, and just plain Broken (short for broken English). There are estimated to be over 20,000 speakers. Its SIL language code is TCS.
- Meriam
The sole Papuan language of Australia. It was spoken in the eastern Torres Strait, chiefly in Murray Island. The people living in these islands are ethnically Papuan and the language is related to languages of the Fly River area of Papua New Guinea but is not spoken there. The number of speakers is in decline as the language is being replaced by Torres Strait Creole and only has a few hundred remaining speakers. It is also known as Miriam, Meryam; Mer, Mir, and combinations thereof (Meriam etc meaning Murray Island, Mer/Mir meaning language). Its SIL language code is ULK.