Floods]]> Weirs]]> Dams]]> Cotton]]> Camping]]> Aboriginal spirituality]]> Water pollution]]> Introduced fishes]]> Storytelling]]>
Pearl and Joe Trindall are an Indigenous couple who have lived in the Namoi region for most their lives. Pearl was born in Boomi, while Joe was born in Narrabri and they both, along with their children, have spent a lot of time travelling around Australia droving.

Pearl and Joe talk at length about a number of topics including growing up on the river and how it was central to their lives - it was a source of food, meeting and socialising, as well as a means for passing on Indigenous knowledges by the Elders. The Elders told the younger generation that they were to practice sustainable fishing and were only to take what they needed. The Elders also taught language and spirituality, told stories and were respected members of their community.

Pearl and Joe also speak about the changes in the region they have witnessed. They both say that the pollution from cotton farming has had the greatest impact on the deteriorating health of the river, compared to when they were younger when the water was clean enough to drink. They also mention the impacts that the installation of weirs and dams have had.

Mentioned: carp impacts, and 1956 floods.

Animals mentioned: Worms, gudgeon, goanna (neebie), black snake.]]>
CC BY-NC]]>
Fishes--Identification]]> Fish hatcheries]]> Fieldwork]]> Fishing nets]]> Camping]]> Diet]]> Fishes--Diseases]]> Fish traps]]> Captive breeding]]> Fishes--Breeding]]> Fishes--Migration]]> Billabongs]]> Floods]]> Fisheries]]> Physical characteristics (Animals)]]> Fishes--Monitoring]]> Scientific methods]]>
Born in 1926, Raymond Donald was a technician at the Snobs Creek Hatchery for thirty-five years. During fieldwork trips, which could last for several weeks, not only did Raymond set nets, angle for brood stock, and process fish, but he also ensured camp life on trips went well. Renowned as a great camp cook, teams would catch game to supplement the provisions they carried with them.

Raymond talks about: growing up in Eildon and living at Rhonda on the Goulburn River; working on the Goulburn River from the headwaters to the Murray; working on Trout Cod at Snobs Creek Hatchery; finding diseases in fish species; stations at Yarrawonga, Echuca, Mildura, where they trapped fish; being the first in Australia to artificially breed Macquarie Perch; migration of fish from Lake Eildon to Jamieson, Goulburn; water temperatures and spawning; plankton surveys in billabongs and flooded rivers; days before radio transmitters, tagging and tracking over twelve-hundred Golden Perch; the effect of 1956 and 1958 floods on fish species; camping and cooking bush tucker on field trips; translocating Murray cod from Lake Charlegrark; impact of European Carp on Catfish, 1970s.

Born 1947, John McKenzie initially worked at Fisheries and Wildlife, and then Freshwater Fisheries on the Murray. He was involved in early development of radio tracking, and was involved in fieldwork with Snobs Creek Hatchery.

John talks about: his work with Fisheries and Wildlife, and Freshwater Fisheries on the Murray; sampling fish for growth rates, age, stomach content; tagging and tracking native fish with radio transmitters; work with Arthur Rylah Institute; techniques and chemicals used to catch/sample fish; coexistence of Redfin and Catfish species; disconnection of billabongs from rivers; and electrofishing revolutionising sampling.

Other fish mentioned (species unspecified): galaxias, grayling.
]]>
CC BY-NC]]>
Fisheries]]> Fieldwork]]> Camping]]> Diet]]>
Images were sourced by the Talking Fish project team from Raymond on the day of his oral history interview.]]>
Goulburn River, Vic [stream]]]> Bourkes Beach Number One, Vic [beach]]]> Buffalo River, Vic [stream]]]> Corryong Creek, Vic [stream]]]> ]]> Lake Meering, Vic [lake]]]> Snobs Creek, Vic [stream]]]> Doyles Dam]]> Lake Meran, Vic [lake]]]> Bourkes Beach Number Three, Vic [beach]]]>
Marine protected areas]]> Spear fishing]]> Diet]]> Social values]]> Economic aspects]]> Aboriginal culture]]> Fisheries]]> Poaching]]>
Originally from Sydney, he moved to the far south coast for its affordability. He and his partner also wanted to live near the water. His partner swims and snorkels at the beach; he notes the social aspect of these recreational activities for family, friends, and children.

The interviewee monitors seasonal changes and migration patterns of crayfish, in monthly moon cycles. He has observed an increase in crayfish populations, crediting regulations implemented by fisheries in the late 1990s, rather than marine parks. While he supports marine parks, he feels that selective exemptions in sanctuary zones, such as shore-based fishing, results in their ineffectiveness due to people taking advantage. He has observed a polarisation in the community with respect to marine parks, and feels that more education is required, as well as concerted coordination between Fisheries, Marine Parks, and Local Government Areas in order to have better outcomes for everyone in the community. For instance, marine environments cannot be considered in isolation – they are impacted upon by terrestrial, land-based development, hence the need for holistic governance. He mentions the Murray Darling Basin Plan consultation as an example of community ‘disengagement’.]]>
CC BY]]> Narooma, NSW [populated place]]]>
Family life]]> Aboriginal culture]]> Ecological sustainability]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Diet]]> Fishing nets]]> Fishes--Breeding]]> Introduced fishes]]> Droughts]]> Weirs]]> Environmental flows]]> Physical characteristics (Animals)]]> Intensive farming]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Connection to Country]]>
Richard is a Ngiyampaa Aboriginal man residing in Wodonga, Victoria. Born in 1959, Richard grew up on the Lachlan River in central New South Wales with his family and currently works with the Catchment Management Authority (CMA) in the Wodonga area.

In this document, Richard discusses the changes he has observed in native and introduced fish species in the Lachlan River, and illegal fishing activities. He reflects on family life with his mob, growing up, his culture, diet, changes in water flows and levels, conservation practices, and sustainable ecological management.]]>
Lachlan River, NSW [stream]]]> Euabalong, NSW [populated place]]]> Condobolin, NSW [populated place]]]> Lake Cargelligo, NSW [lake]]]> Booberoi Creek, NSW [stream]]]> Wyangala Dam, NSW [dam]]]> Lake Cowal, NSW [lake]]]> Murrin Bridge, NSW [section of populated place]]]>