Murray: Oral History of the 'Kerang Crew'
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048646' target='_blank'>Fish populations
</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85128574' target='_blank'>Streamflow</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/832' target='_blank'>Irrigation</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/6986' target='_blank'>Water levels</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/1455' target='_blank'>Fishing industry</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048614' target='_blank'>Fishing licences</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/973' target='_blank'>Water quality</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/3226' target='_blank'>Introduced species</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/6272' target='_blank'>Floods</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/8796' target='_blank'>Siltation</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/4994' target='_blank'>Salinity</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048694' target='_blank'>Fishing regulations</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85136273' target='_blank'>Tournament fishing</a>
<a href='http://dharmae.research.uts.edu.au/items/show/403' target='_blank'>Blackwater</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048809' target='_blank'>Fishes--Speciation</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85114241' target='_blank'>River engineering</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048636' target='_blank'>Fish kills</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2008120678' target='_blank'>Fishing--Australia</a>
<a href='http://archives.samuseum.sa.gov.au/tindaletribes/baraparapa.htm' target='_blank'>Baraba Baraba people</a>
John Baulch: taught himself how to fish as a child with an Alvey sidecast fishing reel. He talks about flow rates; water levels; the European Carp supplanting the Redfin; the decline of Yellowbelly; selling fish to the local clubs; and the return of native fish.
Greg McNeil:, an irrigator, suggests that recent floods might have made unecessary plans to re-snag and reclaim the river. He advocates for a hands-off approach to river management and says that irrigation across the basin has matured while becoming more 'intense'.
Unannounced: recalls professional fishermen; swimming in the river; and observes that there was less recreational fishing in the past. Remembers that the Loddon was different when backed up by a weir from 1923 to 1964 and also talks about water levels and the river's improved health more recently.
Rodger Reilly: remembers fishing with his uncle. Mention of Woods Point. Worked with Fisheries and Wildlife, transferred to the Lands Department, and ended up in Kerang. He talks about needing to change where he goes angling because of the poor quality of water (caused by Cumbungi, siltation); frontage licenses and the advantage of local knowledge.
Esther Kirby; (of the Baraba Baraba people) used to fish at the weir with her brother sister and partner, catching Redfin and Yabbies and sharing the spoils. She talks about the decline in fish diversity (especially catfish) with arrival of Carp; and how she learnt a technique to call fish up from one of her Aunties. She has fished the Edwards, Wakool, Niemur, and Goulburn rivers, among others.
Elaine Jones; learnt to fish for Flounder on the coast and only later stared fishing on the Loddon. She discusses the 1973 flood and the arrival of European Carp; the disappearance of Tortoises; irrigation, water efficiency and the salinity problem.
Ross Stanton: remembers fishing for Redfin out of Gunbower Creek. and talks about schools of small Carp.
Rob O'Brien: learnt to fish with his Uncle in the lower Kerang. catching Yabbies with "roly-poly" woodlice. He talks about the colour of the water; fishing with spinners; and recalls that people used to fill half a wheat bag with Redfin dragging a spinner while walking from the old Kerang bridge to Kerang. He mentions the arrival of Carp in 1974; swimming; siltation; and using drum nets.
The group goes on to discuss the return of Murray Cod; the use of Murray Cod to control Carp; size limits; catch and release; changing attitudes; competitive fishing; blackwater (in 1986); different species of trout cod; and fish lanes.
Esther mentions that the (Wadi Wadi?, Wodi Wodi?) group met with Parks and Wildlife and the Water Catchment Authority to raise the issue of fish being killed by irrigation.
Mention of Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre; "Water Catchment Authority"; "Fisheries and Wildlife"; "Lands Department"
Also mentions: Red Azolla (Azolla filiculoides); Myriophyllum ("watermilfoil", "cat tail"); Cumbungi (Typha latifolia).
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-11-19
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
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English
Upper Murrumbidgee: Oral History of Bryan Pratt
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048646' target='_blank'>Fish populations</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048782' target='_blank'>Fishes--Migration</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048621' target='_blank'>Fishes--Breeding</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048809' target='_blank'>Fishes--Speciation</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048655' target='_blank'>Fish stocking</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048636' target='_blank'>Fish kills</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048745' target='_blank'>Fishes--Diseases</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh93005906' target='_blank'>Lure fishing</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85011046' target='_blank'>Bait fishing</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2008120678' target='_blank'>Fishing--Australia</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/1455' target='_blank'>Fishing industry</a>
An interview in four parts with Bryan Pratt.
Brian came to the Murrumbidgee in 1965. He talks about seasonal variations in the prevalence of fish, and their breeding and migration habits. He remarks on regional variations within species and cross-breeding (e.g. how the Clarence River Cod differs from the "Fitzroy Cod"). He discusses the annual mass death of Silver Perch and Murray Cod, speculating that its cause is a pathogenic. He also speaks about population decline, and weighing the social and ecological consequences of translocating and re-stocking fish. He offers a strong endorsement of the Native Fish Strategy and talks about his efforts to advocate for native fish in the media.
He shares his knowledge of lures; their colour, size and patterning, as well as other ways that their design replicates nature. He also talks about bait; what it's used for, where it comes from, and how it's collected.
Mention of Fitzroy Cod, Brook Trout, Atlantic Salmon, Nile Perch, Barrumundi, Midget Barrumundi, mussels, scrub worms, bardy grub, witchetty grub, wood grub (variant?), yabby, squid, pilchards, prawn, beach worms, abalone, EHN Virus, pathogens, Lernaea (parasite)
Current owner of a fishing and tackle shop in Belconnen. But this is only a retirement enterprise. He started life as a scientist, but was lured to the public service firstly by Gough Whitlam. When the Whitlam government fell- he went to work for the territories conservation department and so was an early cross over of science and bureaucrat. But all the time he was an avid recreational fisherman. He has been a long time advocate of building bridges between science and recreational fishing and strongly believes that mass communication is the way to go. He has written for popular Rec fishing magazines and newspapers for decades. He also has a regular spot on radio. He sees the tackle shop as a type of liminal space where he can translate science for fishers and gather information and knowledge from fishers for science. I think that Bryan's interview has lots of gems - but the section that I particularly liked was when he and I went over to the lures and he talked to me about how they work; their design and the ways that they replicate nature. He gives very strong endorsements of the Native Fish Strategy.
Heather Goodall
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-10-06
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
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English
Katarapko: Oral History of Barry Porter
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85145985' target='_blank'>Weirs</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/4994' target='_blank'>Salinity</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/665' target='_blank'>Family life</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/5067' target='_blank'>Diet</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/6272' target='_blank'>Floods</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048775' target='_blank'>Fishes--Identification</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2001008905' target='_blank'>Fishes--Speciation</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/2477' target='_blank'>Weeds</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/3312' target='_blank'>Environmental flows</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/5257' target='_blank'>Wetlands</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/9862' target='_blank'>Native animals</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/6986' target='_blank'>Water levels</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/5150' target='_blank'>Physical characteristics (Animals)</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh93005906' target='_blank'>Lure fishing</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85074038.html' target='_blank'>Water temperature</a>
An interview in four parts with Barry Porter.
Born in 1949, Barry lives in Berri, in the Riverland area. Having worked on a pile driving barge and worked most his life on the river, Barry has extensive knowledge of locks and weirs from the Murray mouth to Euston (Lock 15). He currently monitors and models salinity in the Murray and Riverland area and also grows capers and caperberries.
Barry talks about: fishing in the 1950s as a cheap addition to the family diet; changes in fishing methods and equipment, including the exclusive use of lures; boat designs; professional fishing reaches/areas; yabbying – a ‘historic institution’ post flood event; changes observed in fish species, weeds, river flow, temperature, salinity; salt interception schemes; bathometric data; work with the palaeobotany group at Flinders University tracking floods by tree lines; water retention in wetlands; evaporation and disposal basins; wildlife observed over the years (kangaroo, echidna, bat, owl, possum, snake, birds, water rat), including Emu that swim; records of fish caught between 2002 and 2006. Mention of floods in 1956, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1990s. Other fish species mentioned: garfish (at Coffin Bay).
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-10-28
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
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audio/mpeg
image/jpeg
English
Ovens: Oral History of Gary Daws
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2008120678' target='_blank'>Fishing--Australia</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85011046' target='_blank'>Bait fishing</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/5361' target='_blank'>Fishing nets</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85128574' target='_blank'>Stream flow</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/6986' target='_blank'>Water levels</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/973' target='_blank'>Water quality</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85114241' target='_blank'>River engineering</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2001000600' target='_blank'>Stream restoration</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2003004809' target='_blank'>Riparian restoration</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048809' target='_blank'>Fishes--Speciation</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2009123209' target='_blank'>Depressions--1929--Australia</a>
An interview in three parts with Gary Daws.
Gary grew up in Gunbower and has spent most of his life on the Murray. He talks about how to lure and bait different types of fish and describes the river conditions that make for good fishing and eating. He also shares his experience with aeroplane spinners, floppies (lures), drum nets, gill nets, cross lines and springers. He recalls selling bait to tourists with his brother and talks about his father selling fish during The Great Depression.
Gary discusses man-made and environmental changes in water quality, river flows and and river height and talks about their effect on fish and crayfish behaviour. He says that the Willow has an outsized effect on the shape and path of the river and talks about his efforts to replace them with native plants. He goes on to talk about the hybridisation of Murray Cod and non-native cod.
Mentions 'greasies', galaxiids, bardi grubs, deer, cypress, phragmites
Mentions of Myrtleford Sewerage Farm, timber industry, pulp mill, sulphites, phenols (chlorophenol wood preservative), algae, Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Murray River Trust
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
University of Technology, Sydney
2011-02-16
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
application/msword
audio/mpeg
image/jpeg
English