Although this is a relatively new name, it is not a new language. Auslan has its roots in British Sign Language. This language was brought to Australia in the early years of Australian settlement and since that time Australian deaf people have developed it as a distinct Australian language. No study to date has been able to gauge accurately the number of deaf people who use Auslan but estimates suggest that the figure is around 30,000. The grammatical system of Auslan is one that is strongly linked to the use of space, a grammatical system that is completely independent of English.
Sign languages are true linguistic systems.
They are neither gesture nor pantomime but fully grammatical systems that are rule governed and systematic. Sign languages are not overwhelmingly iconic. Iconicity relates to that aspect of signs that renders them transparent. If you have ever come across deaf people signing you will no double have realised that they are incomprehensible to the uninitiated. Auslan uses a two-handed fingerspelling system which is unique to Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.