Ovens: Oral History of Adam Pascoe and Ron Dawson
Water quality
Bushfires
Fish kills
Clearcutting
Fishes--Breeding
Pesticides
Fishing--Australia
Restoration ecology
Stream restoration
Lure fishing
Environmental conservation
An interview in two parts with Adam Pascoe and Ron Dawson. Adam and Ron talk about the conditions that fish find favourable to breed in. They recall the effect of the Black Saturday Fires (2009), the 'chocolate river' event, and the Yarrabulla mudslide (2006/2007). They also make reference to the 1939 black water event. They speak of the decline of the tobacco industry and the anecdotal belief that fish have rebounded as a consequence. Ron remembers his time serving on the Ovens River Management Board, renamed Northeast Waterways and later the Northeast Catchment Management Authority. He talks about environmental politics and his experience advocating for the restoration of fish habitat and biodiversity. Adam talks about his involvement with the Northeast Catchment Management Authority and their efforts to replant native species and reintroduce snags. They both talk about fishing lures, setlines, springers and keeper nets. They mention snakes, competitive fishing, snorkeling, and discuss what they like about fishing. Mention of sugar gliders, platypus, phascogale, eastern water rats, bandicoots, tiger snakes, red belly black snakes, brown snakes, black snakes. Mention of Arthur Rylah institute, Ovens River Improvement Trust, Ovens River Management Board, Northeast Waterways, Northeast Catchment Management Authority, Mulwala Classic Invitational, Cod Opening Classic, Myrtleford Fishing Club
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
Bait fishing
Fishing nets
Stream flow
Water levels
River engineering
Riparian restoration
Fishes--Speciation
Depressions--1929--Australia
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
Fish surveys
Blackwater
Rivers
Freshwater ecology
Fishing regulations
An interview in three parts with Greg Sharp. Born in 1964, Greg Grew up in Croydon, Melbourne, before working as a fisheries officer in northern Victoria. He shares his experience in freshwater fish research and surveying, and explains the influence of fires, farming, pests, weeds and floods on the river ecosystem. He mentions a big Yabby catch in 1994 and a particularly destructive black water event at Broken Creek. He discusses changes in fishing culture, noting an increasing awareness and concern for the continuity of species and environmental sustainability. Greg says that these attitude shifts express themselves in different ways, from the sponsorship of vegetation regrowth programs, the introduction of catch limits and size restrictions, and to the practice of catch and release, He also talks about fishing further afield in California, Mexico, Canada, England, Kenya, and Juneau, Alaska, where he ate fermented raw fish with indigenous people. Mention of Yarra Valley Fly Fishing Club, Deepdene Fishing Club, Monash University, Healsville Sanctuary, Fisheries and Wildlife, Californian Conservation Core, Freshwater Fishing Australia magazine, Murray Cod Classic Mention of Garfish, 'Rainbow Fish', and bardigrubs, Willows
Fish stocking
Fish populations
An interview in five parts with Keith Snowden. Keith shares the things he enjoys about fishing and tells stories about life on the River. He talks about his fishing holidays, how he 'reads' the water, variance in the water's quality and his efforts to restock the King River with Crayfish. He reflects on the variance of fish populations over time, and notes how the perception of introduced species has changed. He discusses the future of the River and the Basin's wider management. This includes reference to the draining of Lake Mokoan. He also touches on changes to fishing regulations and the evolution of illegal fishing surveillance. Mention of: River Trust, Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Beech Grove Trout Farm.
Ovens: Oral History of Lyall Hogg and Ollie Evans
Droughts
Floods
Tobacco industry
Irrigation
Fishing industry
Tournament fishing
Fishing rods
An interview in three parts with Lyall Hogg and Ollie Evans. Lyall grew up in Merbien, and learnt to fish with his father. His uncle was a professional fisherman who built boats and sent his catch from Bourke to Sydney. He talks about irrigation; market gardens; how he uses different fishing techniques according to location and desired catch ('heavy gear' up at Merbein, hand lines or 'light gear' in the Ovens); catching trout cod; and fishing to eat. Ollie grew up on the Ovens and learnt to fish with his father. He talks about the poor state of the river; and 'spinning'. They discuss bait (yabbies, worms, bush crickets, grasshoppers); fires; 'cloud bursts' and de-oxygenated water; fish deaths; restocking; tobacco farming and the overuse of pesticides; fish poisoning; erosion; the 1944 drought; 1956 and 1976 flood, logging; and talk about Valley Creek and Ovens River running dry; catch and release; changing motivations and philosophy (catching to feed and catching for sport); competitive fishing; transporting fish with a sugar bag; and fishing outside the local area. Lyell also discusses making and fixing fishing rods. Mention of Yarrawonga weir, Hume Weir Mention of the "swimming pool", Marshall's Ridge (Lake Buffalo), "Horrie's Monshing", Healsville Sanctuary (Melbourne, Victoria) Maloney's Bridge on Buffalo Creek; Murray River Trust; Myrtleford Angling Club; Anderson’s Sawmills in Mildura; Red gum; Willow; Pelicans, Yabby, Tuna, Saltwater Perch
Water resources
Water allocations
Fisheries--Equipment and supplies
An interview in four parts with Tom Cameron. Born in 1937, Tom grew up sustained by the Ovens River. He talks about fishing crowds at Post Office Lane, a popular spot to catch Redfin after the spring floods. He goes on to describe diverse fishing techniques, from trawling and spinning to tethering and springing, as well as the waxing and waning of different fish populations. He recalls the introduction of outboard motors, and discusses river management, floods, pest and weed control, water allocations and forest stewardship. Mention of Yurrawonga Wier, Hume Wier, Dartmouth Wier Mention of 'greasies', Murray Cray, yabbies, bardie grubs, wild ducks, rabbits, Tiger snakes, water rats, platypus Ornithorhynchus, fox, cats, kangaroos, wallabies, blackberries, english broom, Mention of Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, Murray Darling Basin Authority, Friends of Wonnangatta
Aboriginal languages
Aboriginal peoples
Aboriginal Australians
Country of the Paakintji language community
Indigenous Languages | Paakantyi (State Library of NSW)
AIATSIS: Paakantyi / Paakantji / Barkindji language (D12) (NSW SI54-03)
The data from this study region includes 8 oral histories (audio as mp3s, and transcripts) and 5 image galleries, as well as a georeferenced hand-drawn map of the area. The Paroo River catchment is in the north‐western corner of the Murray‐Darling Basin. The river flows across the Queensland border into New South Wales, where it spreads out over floodplains. Beccause of this dispersal and the hotter, dryer climate, it now rarely flows into the Darling River and is known as an ephemeral river. It is the last unregulated river of the northern Murray Darling basin and sustains important wetlands and sub-artesian waters. The region has been inhabited by Aboriginal peoples for around 20 000 years; the Maranganji, Kalali, Badjiri, Kunggari and the Parundji people, from whose name the river's name is derived. (Source: Sarac, Z., Sewell, H., Baker, E . and Ringwood, G. 2011. "Paroo: Talking fish, making connections with the rivers of the Murray‐Darling Basin." Murray‐Darling Basin Authority, Canberra.")
Map image attribution: Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Talking Fish Project see details...
Sarac, Z., Sewell, H., Baker, E . and Ringwood, G. (2011). Paroo: Talking fish, making connections with the rivers of the Murray‐Darling Basin. Murray‐Darling Basin Authority, Canberra. View or download from publisher...
Paroo: Images from interview with Beryl and Colin Leigo
Local history
Family life
Livestock
A selection of historical images from the family archive of Colin and Beryl Leigo, from 1926-1985. They show the Paroo River and Willara during flood periods 1926, 1932, 1942, and 1949; flooded shearing sheds; getting food supplies; boating sheep across the river for shearing. Images were sourced by the Talking Fish project team from Colin and Beryl Leigo on the day of their oral history interview.
Paroo: Images from interview with Gordon Warner
Family histories
Historical images of the Warner family. Gordon Warner has spent most of his life in the Eulo district, and thirty years on a cattle property at Wandilla on the eastern side of the Paroo River. The district is sheep and cattle country; the Paroo used as a water source for stock. Images were sourced by the Talking Fish project team from Gordon Warner on the day of his oral history interview.