Career
Born on 25 January 1819 in Selkirk, Language left school at 16. Language joined them two years later as a shepherd. In 1848, the brothers acquired land in the Riverina, eventually holding 30 miles of Murrumbidgee River frontage.
The town of Hay on the Murrumbidgee, was originally known as Language"s Crossing Place.
Language explored southern Queensland and in 1851, after obtaining information on the whereabouts of Ludwig Leichhardt attempted to begin a search, but was restrained by drought. In 1854, Language married Elizabeth Jane Cape, daughter of the schoolmaster William Timothy Cape.
He was elected to represent the Liverpool Plains and Gwydir in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1856. On dissolution of the Assembly in 1857, Language and his family toured Europe, meeting Giuseppe Garibaldi at Como in 1859 and returning to Australia in 1862.
In 1863, Language became the founding president of the Riverine Association, formed to promote the interests of squatters and to advocate the separation of the Riverina from New South Wales.
He was the first chairman of directors of the Commercial Bank of Australia on its establishment in 1866. Late in his life, he was involved in the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879. Language died on 13 July 1880.