Waka Waka / Wakka Wakka people]]> Mandandanji people]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Native plants]]> Land custodianship]]> Connection to Country]]> Dreaming (Spiritual)]]> Kitchen-middens--Australia]]> Water quality]]> Erosion]]> Farming]]> Deforestation]]> Aboriginal fish traps]]> Places of significance]]> Land degradation]]> Water allocations]]> Water conservation]]> Cotton]]> Water pollution]]> Salinization]]> River rehabilitation]]> Aboriginal history]]> Farming]]> Droughts]]> Introduced fishes]]> Water wells]]> Mandandanji (Australian people)]]> Sacred sites]]> Activism]]>
Robert Lacey is an Indigenous man who has resided in the St George area in southern Queensland most his life. His people are the traditional owners of the land: his mother is a Mandandanji woman, while his father is a Waka Waka man.

Robert discusses the connection he has with the land and the river, he expresses the honour he feels in being trusted to take care of Country. He discusses the history of the river and its declining health; commercial use of the river; and the work he personally does on recording the sites of cultural significance and heritage sites finding over 100 in just a few years. He says that the river is a source of peace, tranquility, food, leisure - the life blood of the land.

Robert also mentions the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI) and his elation at the 1967 Australian Referendum and what it meant for Aboriginal people, and also the political activism by his family.]]> CC-BY]]> Stream flow]]> Water levels]]> Floods]]> Droughts]]> Springs (Groundwater)]]> Stream restoration]]> Riparian restoration]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Erosion]]> Revegetation]]>
Charlee and Faye talk about Hollands Creek; growing up along the creek; memories of swimming and playing in the river; the cycle of flooding and the dry; and Aerial maps. Faye mentions learning to fish with her uncles; and both Charlee and Faye talk about horse riding; picnics; water levels and flow rates; changes in the river structure due to floods; walking on the creek bed; a large flood; the 2004, 2005 drought; their efforts to warn Benalla (Victoria) of the approaching flood; natural springs; sand deposits; erosion; their involvement with Holland's Creek Demonstration Reach; re-snagging work; collaboration with Goulburn Broken Catchment Authority; riffles; field days; re-vegetation; historical popularity of fishing ; and water rats.

Mention of "McGregor's Bridge"; "Crowe's swimming pool" - a local waterhole.

Mention of Koala, Platypus, Water rats, Frogs, Echidna, Wombat, Deer, Snakes, Blackberry ]]> CC BY]]> Surfing]]> Marine protected areas]]> Urban planning]]> Coastal management]]> Noise pollution]]> Public land]]> Water pollution]]> National parks]]> Erosion]]> Marine parks]]> Litter (Trash)]]> Fishing boats]]> Beaches]]> Estuaries]]> Oceanography]]> Geology]]> Seawalls]]> Coastal zones]]> Coastal settlement]]> Coastal landforms]]> Marine ecosystems]]> Sea level]]> Tourism]]> Scientific observation]]> Surveying (Geography)]]> Research]]> Predictions (Science)]]> Environmental awareness]]> Environmental responsibility]]> Environmental stewardship]]> Environmental pollution]]> Environmental scientists]]> Environmental change]]> Environmental risk management]]> Environmental hazards]]> Environmental policy]]> Environmental conservation]]> Intangible assets]]>
He has an intimate knowledge of coastal dynamics from his experience as a surfer, and postgraduate research in coastal dynamics and processes. He loves surfing for its relaxation and its physical challenges. He reflects on what he has learned from surfing, being able to read the ocean, waves, tides and winds. Being a surfer has given him an intimate understanding of the environment, informing his research on coastal processes such as wave and rip modelling.

The interviewee accepts the inevitability of coastal development, and suggests that it is possible to move forward as long as communities are kept out of hazardous areas that are prone to floods and erosion. Environmental processes need to be understood. For example, in New South Wales, headlands are left undeveloped, and houses are hidden behind foredunes. Coastal development should be ‘nodalised’ near services, not spread along the coast. A reference is made to the NSW Coastal Policy.

He surveys local beaches once a month, and notes the environmental impact (generally) of visitors from Canberra, and weekenders. Jet skis used for recreation are a pest, creating noise and air pollution, but are also useful for research and rescue purposes. He comments positively about marine park exemptions that allow fishing off shores and rocks, and feels the controls are sufficient with bag and size limits in place. He notes more people fish from boats, but overall there is a small population of fishers.

The interviewee is concerned that while local government recognise the value of coast to the local community, state and federal government do not. In order to respond to issues such as rising sea levels, funding is required at that level in order to sustain coastal management into the future.
]]> CC BY]]> Moruya, NSW [populated place]]]> Riparian areas]]> Erosion]]> CC-BY]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Salinity]]> Indigenous medicine]]> Burial sites]]> Wetlands]]> Dredging]]> Introduced fishes]]> Droughts]]> Birds--Identification]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Fishes--effect of water levels on]]> Erosion]]> Spawning]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Water quality]]>
Kingsley is from the Gerard Aboriginal community in South Australia. Born in 1971, he has always lived on the river; camping with family and extended family, a time for Elders to educate the younger generations about Country. Kingsley shares his knowledge of a changing and interconnected landscape.

Kingsley talks about: teaching family to swim and fish; yabbying methods; a period when Catfish species were rare; salinity (water and ground table) issues and low water levels; lack of ‘decent’ floods; Aboriginal grave sites and culture, native bushes, and native vegetables impacted by environmental degradation (e.g. traditional medicinal methods); the role of wetlands and back creeks (backwaters) as nurseries for all animals; the impact of Willow tree removal on Murray Cod and Callop; different types of soil in the area; changes observed in water colour; hybrid knowledge systems (incorporating Western into Aboriginal), and the desire to learn from each other. Also mentioned: snake species; water birds; vegetation; Crown Land.

Indigenous terms for fish species discussed:
Murray cod - Gadu, Pondi’s Gadu;
Yellowbelly - Thaigai; Pilaki
Catfish - Gaigai;
Bony bream: Thukeri
Silver Bream - Tookaree;
Silver Perch - Bungi.

One of the images in the collection includes a book called 'Tucker' by Ian Abdulla (1947-2011). It is a children's illustrated book about an Aboriginal boy who grows up along the Murray River, when bush tucker was plentiful.
]]> CC-BY]]> see details...]]> ]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Communities]]> Environmental flows]]> Floods]]> Fish stocking]]> Licenses]]> Lure fishing]]> Fish habitat improvement]]> Water temperature]]> Boats]]> Water sports]]> Erosion]]> Fieldwork]]>
Graham, Ken and Peter are members of the Corowa Angling Club, and have lived in the Corowa area since the 1970s. Graham has worked as a water bailiff, a law enforcement officer responsible for the policing of bodies of water. They are concerned about restricted access to the river as time goes on.

The group talk about: Corugan Pumps (Hans’ Creek), an anabranch of the Murray River; changes in the Murray’s course as a result of floods, early 1980s; fishing at Jerilderie and Deniliquin; increases in Yellowbelly species since restocking; decline in Redfin species since 1980s; club travels; fishing licences; lure fishing; changes in fishing equipment; snags and fish habitat; types of bait; river health; collecting data for Arthur Rylah Institute; restocking activities, since 1988; changes in fishing culture, ‘catch and release’; changes in vegetation from boating activities; use of pylons and stones to stop river bank erosion; changes in width and depth of the river; mammals, birds, reptiles, snakes; blue-green algae and pollution; temperature differences.]]> CC-BY]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Tournament fishing]]> Water quality]]> Water temperature]]> Erosion]]> Fish stocking]]>
Merrylin and Kelli are members of the Corowa Angling Club, Merrylin a champion women's fisher. Kelli is manager of the Corowa Motor Inn and grew up fishing around the Menindee Lakes. They meet with a group of women in Pomona every year for a week long fishing trip.

Merrylin and Kelli talk about: fishing places and trips; fishing and baiting techniques; mammals, snakes, lizards, birds; changes in water quality and temperature; river bank erosion; restocking activities (fundraising).]]> CC-BY]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Floods]]> Siltation]]> Water quality]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Lippia (Genus)]]> Introduced fishes]]> Stream restoration]]> Erosion]]> Restoration ecology]]>
Eric and Carol Hannan are the owners of the Rampadelles property near Boggabri by the Namoi River and have lived here with their four children since 1973. During this time, the Hannan family have experienced numerous floods, and as a result have devised their own way to prepare for, and survive them.

The interview covers the types of fish in the area, flood patterns and frequency, life surrounding the river and its importance, changing river conditions, and recommendations moving forward.

Mentioned: Willow trees,
]]> CC-BY]]>