Talking fish Making connections with the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin Authors JodiFrawley,ScottNichols,HeatherGoodallandLizBaker The rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin Citation:Frawley,J.,Nichols,S.,Goodall,H.andBaker,E.(2011)Goulburn:Talking fishͲmakingconnectionswiththeriversoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasin,MurrayͲDarling TheriversandcreeksoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasinflowthroughQueensland,NewSouth BasinAuthority,Canberra. Wales,theAustralianCapitalTerritory,VictoriaandSouthAustralia.The77000kmof 2 Projectsteeringcommittee waterwaysthatmakeuptheBasinlink23catchmentsoveranareaof1millionkm . TerryKorodaj(MDBA),CameronLay(NSWDPI),ZaferSarac Eachriverhasitsowncharacteryetthesewaters,thefish,theplants,andthepeoplethat (Qld DEEDI), Adrian Wells (MDBA Community Stakeholder rely on them are all different. Taskforce),PeterJackson(MDBANativeFishStrategyadvisor), FernHames(VicDSE)andJonathanMcPhail(PIRSA). Thebookletsinthisseriesareabouthowtherivers,fishandfishinghavechanged.Themain ProjectTeam storiesarewrittenfromoralhistoryinterviewsconductedwithlocalfishersin2010Ͳ11,and ScottNichols,CameronLay,CraigCopeland,LizBaker(NSWDPI); relateindividuals’memoriesofhowtheirlocalplaceshavechanged.Theyshowcasethree JodiFrawley,HeatherGoodall(UTS);ZaferSarac,GregRingwood waysofknowingtheGoulburnRiver:personalexperience,scientificresearchandhistorical (QldDEEDI);HamishSewell(TheStoryProject);PhilDuncan(Ngnulu Consulting);TerryKorodaj(MDBA);FernHames,PamClunie, research.Justasindividualfishersdonotalwaysagreewithoneanother,sotheir SteveSaddlier(VicDSE);JonathanMcPhail,VirginiaSimpson understandingmightnotnecessarilyagreewithcurrentscientificinformationorhistorical (PIRSA);WillTrueman(researcher). records.Similarly,specificitemsandeventsmightberemembereddifferentlybydifferent ISBN978Ͳ1Ͳ921914Ͳ33Ͳ1 people.Thesevariedperspectivesshowtherangeinviewsaboutfishingandtherivers,each importantinitsownway.Therearemanyothergreatstoriesoutthereaboutfishinginthe ©MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority,2011 PublishedbytheMurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority(MDBA),Canberra. MurrayͲDarlingBasin.Thesebookletsarejustthebeginning. Graphicalandtextualinformationinthework(withtheexceptionof AcknowledgementsͲGoulburn photographsandtheMDBAlogo)maybestored,retrievedandreproduced inwholeorinpart,providedtheinformationisnotsoldorusedfor AveryspecialthankyoutoDrWayneAtkinson,KenGilmore,MickHall,DonnyRichter,Kaye commercialbenefitanditssource(MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority,Talking Gibb,GaryGibb,DonCollihiole,GeoffVernon,RonBain,JimHanley,HayleyPurbrick,Wally FishProject)isacknowledged.Reproductionforotherpurposesis Cubbin,JohnDouglas,DarylSloaneandJodyLiversidgewhogenerouslysharedtheirstories prohibitedwithoutpriorpermissionoftheMurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority orthecopyrightholdersinthecaseofphotographs.Totheextent inthisbooklet. permittedbylaw,thecopyrightholders(includingitsemployeesand ThanksalsotoHartleyandNoelBriggs,DougandLaeliaRogers,JennySheilds,JohnKoehn, consultants)excludeallliabilitytoanypersonforanyconsequences, includingbutnotlimitedtoalllosses,damages,costs,expensesandany DavidChalmers,RolfWeber,RoyPatterson,ErnHolloway,KeithJones,JohnMackenzieand othercompensation,arisingdirectlyorindirectlyfromusingthisreport(in RayDonaldwhogavegenerouslyoftheirtime. partorinwhole)andanyinformationormaterialcontainedinit.The contentsofthispublicationdonotpurporttorepresentthepositionofthe Adviceandfieldsupport MurrayͲDarlingBasinAuthority.Theyarepresentedtoinformdiscussionfor PhilDuncan(NgnuluConsulting),FernHames(VicDSE),PamClunie(VicDSE)andSteveSaddlier(VicDSE). improvedmanagementoftheBasin'snaturalresources. Frontpagephotographs(LͲR) ResearchandeditingbytheNSWDepartmentofPrimaryIndustries(NSW Source:LukePearce. DPI)andtheUniversityofTechnology,Sydney(UTS).Theviewsexpressedin Source:SeymourAnglers. thisbookletarenotnecessarilythoseoftheNSWDPI,UTSorotherproject Source:SeymourAnglers. partners. Source:SeymourAnglers. TheMDBAacknowledgestheintellectualpropertyrightsofthepeople Source:JodiFrawley. whosestoriesarefeaturedinthispublication. Backpagefishimages Aboriginalreadersarewarnedthatthispublicationmaycontainthe Allfishimages:NSWDPI. namesandimagesofAboriginalpeoplewhohavesincepassedaway. TheGoulburnRiver’scold,clearwatersrush westwarddownfromthesteephillsand mountainsoftheGreatDividingRangetoward Seymour.Theriverthenturnsnorthwardand meandersthroughhillsandplainsuntiltheriver …thewaterwasclear;wecouldseethefish meetstheMurrayupstreamofEchuca.Theseare thetraditionallandsoftheTaungurung,Bangerang swimmingabout;thebanks oftheriverweresolid andYortaYortapeoples.However,theGoulburn RivertodayisnottherivertheTaungurung, Bangerang and Yorta Yorta once knew and fished. withtrees.Weusedtofish beneath its shade. SinceEuropeansarrivedthehealthoftheriverand TheArgus(Melbourne,Vic.),Friday8October1937,page12 itsfishhasbeenshapedbythepeoplewhocame tolivethereandtheindustriesthatdeveloped. Thegoldrushesandgrazing,drylandfarmingand horticultureallneededdifferenttypesofworkers, bringingnewpeoplewithnewneedstotheriver andnewwaystocatchfish.Waterisnowstoredin LakeEildonandcontrolledbyGoulburnWeirat Nagambie.Flowspeakinsummertomeet irrigationneedsanddropsoffinwinter/spring. Thesechangesmeantherearealotlessfishthan therewere.Beforetheturnofthetwentieth century,therearemanystoriesofcatching Macquarieperch,Murraycod,troutcod,blackfish andyellowbelly.Therewerenocarp,noredfin andnotrout.Now,thereareveryfewMacquarie perchandnotroutcod. Therearestillthosewholovetheriverandwho lovetofishtheriver.Theirstoriesarepartofthe biggerstoryofchangestotheGoulburnandits fish.Theyhelpusrememberthattheriverwesee nowisnotwhattheriverwasandcanbeagain. Peoplewanttotalkaboutafutureforthe Goulburnandtheirvisionsforahealthyriverthat is,onceagain,fulloffish. Introducing the river and its people newpeopletonorthernVictoria.Chinese Beginnings peoplejoineddiggersandAboriginalpeople DrWayneAtkinson,aYortaYortaman,tells and,bythe1860s,newtownssupportedthe thecreationstoryoftheGoulburnand smalleryeomanfarmschampionedbythe MurrayRivers: government. Baiamecreatedtheriverbysendinghis Problemswereemerginghoweverfrom womandownfromthehighcountrywithher miningactivities.Theshaftminesthathad yamsticktojourneyacrosstheflatand beensunkintheUpperGoulburncaused waterlessplain.Baiamethensenthisgiant heavy metals and silt to be washed into the snakealongtowatchoverher.Shewalked formanywearymiles,drawingatrackinthe river.OneoldͲtimerlamentedin1896: sandwithherstick,andbehindhercamethe WhenmyhusbandandIcameherefirstthe giantsnakefollowinginandoutandall waterwasclear;wecouldseethefish about,makingthecurvesoftheriverbed swimmingabout;thebanksoftheriverwere withhisbody.ThenBaiamespokeinavoice solidwithtrees.Weusedtofishbeneathits ofthunder,fromuphigh.Lighteningflashed shade.Thegoldminesdidthis,theycutthe andrainfell,andwatercameflowingdown The arrival of the Europeans timberdownforfirewoodandpitprops,and thetrackmadebythewomanandthe bushfireskilledthetreesonthemountains, 14 1 2 snake. HamiltonHume andWilliamHovell passed andthenthefloodscameandtoretheriver throughtheGoulburnRiverareain1824, bankstopieces;andyouseewhatfollowed.4 seekingapassagefromSydneytoSpencer Gulf.Theteamcampednearthepresentsite ofSeymourfortwodaysatChristmas‘in orderthattheymightavailthemselvesofthe finefishwhichaboundinitswaters,aswell asrefreshthecattle.’3 EarlyBritishsettlementfollowedtherivers. Allowidgee,picturedfishingusingabarkcanoeand Thefirstgrazingpropertiesweresetupon reed spear in a way common to Yorta Yorta men. He is thebanksoftheGoulburnintheearly1830s. BoatingontheriveratEchuca(dateunknown). shownhereatMalogaonthenearbyMurrayRiver. Imagesource:WangarattaLibrary. Photosource:StateLibraryofSouthAustralia,PRG422.3.704. Thengoldrushesofthe1850sboughtmany Bythe1890sthelowerreachesoftheriver weresupportingproductionofwheat,fruits, winegrapesandawidevarietyoffoddercrops. Grazing,dairyfarms,piggeriesandbutter factoriescontinuedtoflourishintheupper reaches.5However,thedecadesoflandclearing increasedsiltationandthealteredflowofthe riverchangedthehabitatfornativefish. Inthetwentiethcentury,theriverwasregularly stockedwithnonͲnativefish,suchastrout,and carparrived. TheGoulburnbecameapopularspotfor Fornearly90years,KenGilmorehaslivedbyand people,includingAboriginalpeople,tofishfor fishedintheGoulburnRiver.Photosource:KenGilmore. theintroducedtroutandredfin.Itremainsone ofthemostpopularinlandanglingspotsfor DonnyRichteristeachinghisgrandsontheartof nativefishaswell,includingMurraycod, fishing,notjusthowtofish.Photo:JodyFrawley. yellowbelly,Macquarieperchandblackfish. CatchingalargeMurraycodisamemorablemoment MickHallisapassionateandcompetitiveflyfisher. foranyfisher,andJodyLiversidgeisproudofthis Photosource:MickHall. beautiful35kgfishshecaughtintheGoulburnRiverin Kaye and Gary Gibb are members of the Seymour 2006.Photosource:JodyLiversidge. AnglingClub.Photo:JodyFrawley. Ken Gilmore – True story! I’m not telling you a lie! yellowbelly.Blackfishtoo.Weusedtolike KenGilmorewasbornin ‘Bream’werewhatKen’sfamilycalled thatthen,little‘greasys’weusedtocall 1922.Heandhisnine Macquarie perch. Others knew them as them.Theywereverysweet.Nicelittlefish brothersandsisterswere black bream, Murray bream, white eye or toeat. raisedatHughendon,a blackfish.Theywereplentifulinthe grazinganddairyfarm GoulburnRiverwhenKenwasgrowingup. Kenremembersthatotherfishhadtobe andtheonlypropertyleft Theyhavesincebecomeveryrare.Another huntedintheoffͲriverareas. inthedistrictthathasa localfisher,JimHanley,alsoremembers Theyusedtogetcatfishintheolddays.In