Fishes--Identification]]> Crustaceans]]> Native animals]]> Plants--Identification]]> Weirs]]> Dams]]> Floods]]> Water quality]]> Aboriginal history]]> Local history]]> Livestock]]>
Born in 1932, Ned grew up as a child on the property Warroo, a sheep and cattle station on the banks of the Balonne, owned by his grandfather since 1890.

In the interview, Ned describes how the river was a significant part of his life growing up - like a playground, swimming and fishing. He recalls what the river was like prior to the E.J. Beardmore Dam being built downstream and how it increased the river level along much of their property; the turbidity of the river; and the history of the station as a site of importance for the Aboriginal peoples of the region - recalling stories of tribal warfare, and several locations with remains of shell middens.

Ned has kept records of flood locations and heights, which have been helpful in predicting how flood waters might affect the local area. He also discusses 'gilgais' - an Aboriginal word for small water hole or lake, thought to be formed in vertisols.

Mention of Warroo Station as a sacred Aboriginal site.]]>

In this interview Ned describes how the river was a huge part of his life growing up. He remembers learning to swim there, visiting there after mustering with his brother, Dick, and fishing - he says it was like a playground.

Ned also delves into the history of the station mentioning a shepherd who previously resided at the property whose personal diaries are being held by the University of New England that describes the local Indigenous tribes at war with one another, and the relationship between the Indigenous peoples and the farmers.]]>
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Local history]]> Fossils]]>
Images of local history, including fishing prongs and the infamous 'Talgai skull', reported to be the first fossil evidence of human occupation, found in the Dalrymple Creek area.]]>
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Weirs]]> Local history]]>
Geoffrey is the owner of the property 'Lennie Brae' that has been in his family for generations. The photos depict the building of weirs in the area.]]>
Local history]]> Family life]]>
Images were sourced by the Talking Fish project team from Dessie Obst on the day of his oral history interview.]]>
Swimming]]> Local history]]> Family life]]>
The photos show family activities such as learning to swim in the Narran River in the 1920s. ]]>
Local history]]>
The images span the late 1930s to 1950s. They show Murray Cod caught from the infamous 'Garden Hole' spoken about during the interview, located south of E.J. Beardmore Dam.
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Fisheries]]> Local history]]> Family histories]]> Marine ecology]]> Estuarine ecology]]> Salinity]]> Fishing regulations]]> Water--Law and legislation]]> Licenses]]> Introduced fishes]]> Aboriginal culture]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Floods]]> Sustainable fisheries]]> Acid sulfate soils]]> Fishes--Identification]]>
Gary is a commercial fisher in the Lower Lakes and Coorong Fishery for 28 years; a third generation fisher on his father’s side, and a fifth generation fisher on his mother’s side (lineage to the Rumbelow family, and whalers from Victor Harbour, South Australia). His family came to the Lower Lakes in the 1930s. Gary lives and grew up in the Meningie area, four-hundred metres from Lake Albert. Gary discusses the three different habitats – marine, estuarine (the most productive system), and fresh water. He recalls life as a youngster working at his grandfather’s fish processing business. He has not been able to fish commercially in the Coorong south lagoon for 20 years due to hyper-salinity, and is concerned about the government’s targeting of commercial fishers and fisheries rather than habitat degradation. The low-tech, high physical-input nature and rotational harvesting of the fishing industry is a factor in its sustainability. The Lower Lakes and Coorong Fishery incorporates Lake Albert, Lake Alexandrina, the Coorong from Goolwa to Salt Creek, the ocean from Goolwa Beach Road to outside Kingston. The Coorong relies on Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.

Gary talks about: differences in fishing over 80 years from family history and personal observation ‘every year was different’; history of the Coorong and Lower Lakes Fishery, documented since 1854; the commercial fishing industry in Meningie (including when the coastal road through Meningie and Coorong was main route to Melbourne from Adelaide); history post World War II, including native vegetation land clearing; changes in licensing, which were freely available until mid-1970s when zoning occurred; commercial fishing registration, which influenced fishing behaviour (return on investment) due to administrative load; monthly ‘Catch and Effort’ data reported to government; health of region before construction of barrages 1935-40; the reduction in estuary size of Lake Alexandrina; changes to fish ecology separating salt from fresh water; changes to flood patterns; declining river flows; water extraction; degradation of habitat and lifecycles of estuarine-dependent species; bait fish industry (rock lobster market); the chain affect of water hyper salinity in the South Lagoon on species; brine shrimp – evidence of salinity and system collapse; rate of water release from lakes into the Coorong and sea; high percentage of carp in Lake Alexandrina; ground and surface water flows; 1981 closing of the Murray mouth; acid-sulfate soil; fishery closures in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia; Riverland Fishery (most sustainable model); importance of fish ways to their movement upstream; certification in 2008 of the Lower Lakes and Coorong Fishery; parallels in fishing methods with historical methods; traditional knowledge transfer, Ngarrindjeri peoples.

Gary also discusses the flood of 1956, and a severe drought in the last five years where water levels dropped a metre below sea level.

Other fish mentioned (unspecified species): Australian Salmon, soft-mouthed Hardyhead. Gary discusses an interesting relationship between Dandelion plants and fish movement.

Other mentions: President of Southern Fisherman’s Association (Gary has historical minutes of meetings); Murray-Darling Basin water management plan; Department of Environment; Department of Water; Riverland Fishery (South Australia); Fisheries Act; Marines Stewardship Council Certification; World Wide Fund for Nature, Scheme of Management; Department of Fisheries; South Australian Research Development Institute.]]>
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Local history]]> Aboriginal culture]]> Aboriginal peoples]]> Estuarine ecology]]> Salinity]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Plants--Identification]]> Birds--Identification]]> Agricultural land]]> Floods]]> Acid sulfate soils]]> Weeds]]> Introduced fishes]]> Naturalists]]> Fish surveys]]> Boats]]> Threatened species]]>
Terry and John collectively discuss: pre-barrage days, when a blue line was visible, separating fresh from salt water in Lake Alexandrina (which is now freshwater); changes in fishing methods and equipment; a time when the Mulloway fish species were captured for their gelatine; history of flows and currents in the Coorong from the southern end, as a result of drainage schemes; salinity from agricultural soils and runoff; hypersalinity of the Coorong; traditional knowledge and legends of the Ngarrindjeri peoples; comparisons in flooding and rainfall between 1956 flood and the present day; the dairy and agricultural industry and trade routes in the 1950s; history of prominent naturalists studying the area; the Strathalbyn Nationalist book, an extensive repository of vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants in the area; South Australian Naturalist surveys; observation of fauna in the 1950s-60s and consequent changes; popular family and community activities (e.g. fishing, yabbying, hunting); history of boat types and fishermen huts (‘shacks’); dredging and acid sulphate soil issues; methods of catching and transporting fish (and duck); the impact of salinity on the small snails in the food chain of duck species; vegetation (weeds) popular to ducks; and the effect of European carp in the 1970s on the swan population; 1956 flood, and a family story about a 1870 flood; plant species.

They discuss a fish species 'disostra' in the Coorong and worldwide that died off in the early 20th century. They talk about water birds, and a species called a Banded Stilt which feeds on brine shrimp - a sign of hypersalinity.

Also mentioned: the South Australian Farmers Union, which became Southern Farmers, then National Foods.]]>
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Fishes--Identification]]> Plants--Identification]]> Birds--Identification]]> Snakes]]> Riparian areas]]> Bait fishing]]> Floods]]> Salinity]]> Irrigation]]> Local history]]> Military service]]> World War II]]> Communities]]> Soldier settlement]]>
Born in Renmark in 1923, Howard lives on the banks of the Murray River at Pyap, near Loxton. He grew up in an underprivileged First World War settlement in Renmark, spending school holidays helping his father on the land picking dried fruit and tending to animals. Howard was a Royal Australian Air Force pilot and bomber in World War II, and commercial pilot for British Airways. When he returned with his brother from WWII he took up an ex-serviceman block near Loxton.

Howard recalls history about: soldier settlements after the First Word War (Renmark, Berri, Barmera, Waikerie); the mix of cultures in the population as a result of the World Wars; training at an army camp at Victor Harbour, and training as a fighter pilot at Deniliquin in 1942; the sinking of the Australian Hospital Ship Centaur; experiencing WWII first hand on the south coast of England and as a bomber pilot over Germany.

Howard also discusses: fishing at Ral Ral Creek growing up, a tributary of the Murray River; changes in fish species (the main three being Cod, Callop, Bony Bream); the number of trees and shade along the river bank; fishing methods used on the river bank, and types of bait (e.g. birds to catch shrimp, mussels to catch cod); changes observed in minor and major flood cycles; changes in salinity, and the resulting changes in irrigation practice in the Riverland; yabbying techniques and where they were most abundant; bird nesting and water bird species; snakes; vegetation; floods 1931 (Renmark), 1951, 1956, 1959 (Berri).

Also mentioned: Tree of Knowledge (Berri, marked with flood levels).
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Livestock]]> Grazing]]> Feral animals]]> Local history]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Remote communities]]> Aboriginal peoples]]> Aboriginal culture]]> Swimming]]> Introduced fishes]]> Bushfires]]>
Fay and Donald talk about: the impact of floods at Eulo prior to the bridge; a time before motorised transportation and telephone communications; the ‘flood truck’ which used to transport goods and people across flood waters; the river as a place of recreation for children and a stock route for graziers; swimming, playing, and yabbying with Aboriginal children; Donald’s father’s recollection of Aboriginal corroborees that took place at water holes at Caiwarro and Tilbaroo; the introduction of European Carp; how bore drains reduced the amount of stock along the river; bushfires in the 1950s; impact of feral cats on water rats and bird species; Paroo as the ‘last river going west that had the Murray cod’; being able to predict a flood’s size by the sound of frogs.]]>
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