'John McEntee gained an interest in linguistics at Pulteney Grammar School, Adelaide. Over the years, this interest in languages was further enhanced with a study of Asian languages, particularly Sanskrit. For over 90 years he has worked in the pastoral industry in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, and has been privileged to learn about the Aboriginal and European natural history of the area. The knowledge handed down from his Adnyamathanha teachers has led him to develop an in depth understanding of the local people and environment. In 1972, he began recording Adnyamathanha language and culture, and in 1992 published an Adnyamathanha - English dictionary. ' (Aboriginal Placenames: Naming and re-naming the Australian landscape)
