B. Chronology

B. CHRONOLOGY 19 | Chain of Ponds Chronology | 20 B.01 INTRODUCTION CHRONOLOGY - A SHORT HISTORY A Living Creek A Sewer Creek A Recreation Creek An Environmental Creek Landscapes are never static - they undergo continual This describes the creek prior to white settlement, This describes the despoliation of the creek and Early in the twentieth century, there is growing The 1960’s and 70’s heralds a growing environmental change and evolution. A chronology is a way of including the important role it would have played in its treatment as a open sewer. Due to the lack of recognition of the need to provide suitable spaces for awareness, with a significant shift in community understanding the evolution of the creek by arranging Wurundjeri life as a meeting and gathering place. vegetation, erosion of the delicate creek embankment recreation for a growing population with more time on attitudes towards the creek. There is growing events in their order of occurrence in time. It Grasslands and patches of open woodland dot the occurs and sedimentation becomes a major problem it’s hands. The only cheap and available land is flood recognition of the ecological and social importance summarises the different periods in the creek’s history, landscape, with deep pools of water. It reminds us along the creek . Health concerns become common prone land along the creek, which leads to the location of the creek and the need to protect and improve and describes how attitudes towards the creek have that the creek was once a source of abundant wildlife place and calls are made to undertake ‘improvement’ of recreational and sporting facilities along the creek. the creek from further works. The establishment of resulted in the creek we have today. and was an integral component of the ecology of the works to the creek. Flooding is a regular occurrence. The seeds are sown for a linear park along the creek, community groups seeking to improve the creek’s region. Within a short period, the creek has been significantly although it fails to be constructed. health and function is a critical development. Like any landscape, the Moonee Ponds Creek is at altered in form and appearance. one moment in a long and ever changing journey. An Agricultural Creek An Urbanised Creek A Future Creek Understanding this evolution and how differing This describes the arrival of Europeans, the A Drainage Creek The post war period marks a significant phase in Today, Melbourne faces important decisions about attitudes have shaped the creek is an important step establishment of Melbourne, and the sub-division After the establishment of the Melbourne the growth of Melbourne with substantial migration the type of city we would like to inhabit, and how in managing this inevitable change into the future. of the land to the high water mark of the creek. The Metropolitan Board of Works, works commence to from war ravaged Europe fuelling the rapid urban we should live our lives. There is almost universal landscape was cleared, fencing was erected and sewer the city and solve ongoing flooding issues along expansion of housing to the north along the creek. recognition of the magnitude of human intervention in The chronology represents an important collaboration farming commenced. Sheep grazing was followed the creek. Many people are concerned about health To service the new suburbs and the construction of global natural systems, and the need to significantly between the project team, Council and the Friends by wheat and other grains. Sand mining took and safety along the creek and the MMBW embark a new international airport, as well as support the change our management of the natural and urban of the Moonee Ponds Creek. This rich vicual history place along the creek. The land was celebrated on a long term drainage scheme for the creek, which growing ownership of private vehicles, a new freeway ecosystems. Melbourne commences it’s ‘second gold has become a community display to be used at public for its productiveness and the first State Farm was includes substantial alterations to it’s alignment and is constructed on the creek floodplain. The creek is rush’ with substantial population growth and urban events. It communicates the need to understand the established on the banks of the creek in Parkville. form, including construction of the concrete lining. significantly realigned and channelised. development rapidly reshaping the city. past to effectively design the future. ... a sewer creek ... an urbanised creek ... an agricultural creek ... a drainage creek ... a living creek ... a recreation creek ... a future creek ... an environmental creek 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2060 21 | Chain of Ponds Chronology | 22 a living creek... “... a sea of thick grassy woodland A woman stands thigh deep in water WURUNDJERI DISCUSSIONS related sculptures which together form the series Cultural Values Recording entitled ‘The Totems’ (Glenn Romanis, 2003. Made stretches out into a broad valley collecting the starchy-sweet roots of from River Red Gum sourced from the Murray River, In July 2016, a Cultural Heritage Values Recording the sculptures are intended to tell the story of the amphitheatre of basalt slopes. Emus water ribbons.... (CHVR) was undertaken by the Wurundjeri, as an history of the waterway. Aunty Alice was of the important part of the development of the plan. The and bush turkeys roam through the opinion that the sculptures were confusing without purpose of the recording is to identify and understand When the heavy rains come the deep, any accompanying story or other information. scattered yellow-box trees pushing traditional and contemporary cultural values and still ponds come alive, connected meanings held by the Indigenous community Importance of Water through spears of russet themeda associated with the creek corridor, and ways in which by a rush of water pushing against The Elders expressed the opinion that it was good these values can be interpreted in a meaningful and grass... Past the twisting trunks of to see the water flowing as this implied a healthier the richly coloured rocks and dense practical way. majestic river red gums a series of environment. shrubs along the creek bank. The The recording was organised with the assistance of Elder Bobby Mullins related that traditionally when the deep ponds can be seen. Ian Travers (Extent Heritage Pty Ltd), and took the form sudden torrent flows steadily through wattle blooms (‘when nice and yellow’) it would be the of a walk along different sections of the creek within right time to catch crayfish, and that you would do so A small group of people are harvesting forests of casuarina and carpets of the study area with six Wurundjeri elders, as well as by looking for their white pincers (their blue bodies members of the project team. The following notes are quartz from the creek bank to make golden murnong daisies terminating in being camouflaged). He related that the fish species contained in the Cultural Values Recording01 which likely to have populated the creek would have included forms an important document within this plan. tools, blades and flakes. Some are a great, blue, saltwater lagoon...“ brim (genus Acanthopagrus) and blackfish (Gadopsis Source: The Tale of the Moonee Ponds Creek, Moonee Ponds During the walk, the main categories under which the marmoratus), and that to catch them Aboriginal men collecting mussels and bird eggs, Coordination Committee Wurundjeri expressed attachments or concerns were would have used spears or fishnets, first laying rocks whilst others fish for eels and yabbies. as follows: and banging on the water with sticks to drive them into the nets. Interpretation Of Cultural Heritage However, Uncle Bobby pointed out that the The Elders expressed several concerns around channelisation and introduction of basalt rock rapids the way in which cultural heritage is currently had made the creek flow faster (as was the intention interpreted in the study area. There is a general lack to improve drainage), and the water was now too fast of interpretation of Aboriginal cultural heritage in for many of the Indigenous species. The Elders felt it the study area. Where interpretation is present this needed to be slowed to encourage the return of these focuses on natural rather than cultural heritage. species to the study area. The interpretation that is present lacks coordination. Erosion/Revegetation The interpretation panels at Strathnaver Reserve were cited as an example. These are of different vintages The Elders were keen to see further erosion of the but repeat much of the same information. creek banks prevented – for example through the rock work and netting being employed at the Five Mile In some instances where Aboriginal cultural heritage Creek Reserve. Aunty Alice Kolasa was keen to see is highlighted, there is a lack of accompanying such measures employed to prevent loss of vegetation explanation. Elder Alice Kolasa highlighted the three and exposure of tree roots. Revegetation was seen as an ideal approach to preventing erosion. ‘The Totems’, Glen Romanis (2003) in Travancore Park, (left) and Boeing Reserve, Strathmore Heights (tight), as inspected during the recording. 01 Moonee Ponds Creek - Cultural Values Recording, Ian Travers (Extent Heritage) for the City of Moonee Valley, 2016 The Indigenous people who inhabited this land were our first explorers, colonisers and pioneers. Over their long association with the land, they developed land management and survival practices specific to their area. Large trees provided bark for canoes; fibrous reeds could be made into ropes, nets and baskets. We may think that the interaction of each group with the land was passive, that the landscape remained unspoiled by their intervention. Yet the Indigenous people scarred and altered the land to suit their purposes. The most apparent of these activities was the practice of firestick farming whereby large areas of land were burnt off to encourage new growth of grasses and shrubs.

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