Latest news with #MurrayRiver
ABC News
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- ABC News
First Nations children learn culture at Murray River's Robinvale camp
There's a bend along the Murray River at Robinvale in north-west Victoria that arouses conflicting emotions in multi-clan nation elder Aunty Thelma Chilly. It's where, as a girl, she ran and played on the riverbank and learnt the traditions of ancestors, passed down through generations. But it's also where the harsh realities of the White Australia Policy played out. Aunty Thelma's family was forced to move from their home on the banks of the Murray River, at a site known locally as Punt Bend, to the old Manatunga mission close by. Decades after her family was relocated, Aunty Thelma is working to reclaim the site through an annual cultural gathering of Aboriginal families from across Australia's east coast. During the 1956 flood, Aboriginal families relocated from Punt Bend to an industrial area in Robinvale. "They formed a welfare board, which was connected to the assimilation policies of those days, and they built Manatunga mission." Families were forced onto the mission, to live in concrete buildings with a door and a pot-belly stove. Still, Aunty Thelma's family and others kept returning to the banks of the Murray every year, sometimes for months at a time. "They actually return here to … commemorate the fact that this was where their people come from. "We have turned this into a place of learning and passing on knowledge of our culture." Every year, families come from across Australia's east coast to Robinvale on Tati Tati Country to take part in a four-day camp. "Every year, we try to do something different here at the Easter camp to pass along the culture and knowledge to other people in the community, but particularly our children," Aunty Thelma said. Robinvale is close to the lands of Latje Latje, Wadi Wadi and Mutti Mutti clans, and their traditional owners can be found among the families who set up a campsite every year. Over the four days, older generations teach their children, grandchildren and others how to fish, weave, and make cultural art and costumes, and to hold ceremonies such as Welcome Baby to Country. It's a way for those who didn't grow up with a connection to family and culture to find that connection and sense of belonging. "Matt [Chilly] does his emu feathers and he's weaving, and he's telling his story with the importance of technique, and art and creativity," Aunty Thelma said. "He's a creative young man, and it's so important to be able to provide that art. The stories of assimilation and the threat of the welfare board would never be forgotten by those who lived through that period, Aunty Thelma said. But by holding the camp, elders hoped to reinforce their pride in their culture and share their customs and skills with their most important asset — their children. "I'm just so grateful to be able to continue this tradition of being in this place, and it does mean a lot to me," Aunty Thelma said. National Reconciliation Week runs from May 27 to June 3. This year's theme is Bridging Now to Next, which reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future, and how Australia can move forward by learning from past lessons.
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Lessons in local crafts and customs on the banks of the Murray River
First Nations families from across Australia come to the banks of the Murray River in Robinvale to learn the crafts and customs established and passed down by their ancestors.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Julie Kimberley
Julie Kimberley started working for the ABC in 1999. She has worked across multiple areas of the ABC including Sport, Drama and TV but is most passionate about her work with both Radio National and Local Radio. In 2022 she joined the team at ABC Riverland at the Renmark studios and has taken on the post of Saturday Presenter and Weekday Producer. Julie is passionate about the Riverland and has really loved getting to know the community and all that makes this unique landscape tick. First hailing from Sydney's Northern Beaches Julie says she could never have imagined calling the Mighty Murray River her home and backyard. She would love for you to join her on Saturday mornings via the ABC Listen App or tune in when in the area to 1062AM.
ABC News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Forest booming after removal of ferals and native daisies turning fields pink
Standing on the banks of Barmah Lake, you might spot spoonbills, pelicans and egrets bathing at the water's edge. It would be just a glimpse of the 270 animal species and 500 native plants that live in Barmah National Park — a landscape that has started to thrive since the controversial decision to remove its population of wild horses. The park sits on Yorta Yorta country, stretching across the flood plains of the Murray River in northern Victoria. It is part of the largest river red gum forest in the world and home to internationally recognised wetlands. The native vegetation has started to regenerate since the horses were removed, much to the delight of local ecologists. In the golden fields of Western Australia's southern Wheatbelt, something pink is growing. The community of Mobrup, about 300 kilometres south of Perth, is one of WA's oldest sheep and grain farming centres. But for the past two decades, one farm has been growing something a little bit different - native everlasting daisies. Tennis balls are flying in Queensland's Mt Isa again, but for many years it was nothing but empty courts at the Copper City Tennis Club. Mount Isa has a long and rich tennis history, helping to mould sporting legends like former world number one, Pat Rafter. In recent years things have been a little different, without a coach to teach lobs and backhands, local interest had dropped to all an time low. That's all set to change, with a former pro serving up some fresh lessons on centre court. In far-flung corners of Queensland where people might not see a neighbour for days, mail delivery means more than just bills and brochures turning up. It's a vital connection to the rest of the world. 72-year-old Ruby Gamble has been delivering mail to stations around the south-west Queensland town of Cunnamulla for almost 30 years. Reporter Dan McCray caught up with the outback postie who has been through droughts, floods, personal loss and several vehicles.
ABC News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Report makes 23 recommendations to SA government after River Murray floods
A report into the South Australian government's response to the River Murray floods has found some agencies "fell short in the execution of their roles". The third-highest flood on record in SA peaked at 186 gigalitres a day in December 2022, after months of preparations in towns along the river corridor. A select committee was established in August 2023, after the water receded, to review the preparation, response and recovery to the incident. This included local, state and federal responsibilities, stakeholder communication, river flow management and modelling, and future mitigation. A report containing 23 recommendations has now been tabled in parliament following the inquiry. It called for the state government to implement changes in areas including communication, levee maintenance, flood mitigation and funding. "It was generally felt that state and federal governments were to be commended in their response to the flood event," the report summary read. The report placed significant focus on levees, including the management of government-owned infrastructure and the performance of levee banks during the peak of the flood. The inquiry heard the use of portable levees, like DefenCell structures, had been deployed "to prioritise the protection of government assets and infrastructure" over private properties. "I can understand people's frustration, but, again, it's not the [Department for Infrastructure and Transport's] responsibility around decision-making of protecting private infrastructure," DIT chief executive officer Jon Whelan said when delivering evidence in 2024. The report also outlined the need for a commitment from the state government to independently audit or review the Department for Environment and Water's (DEW) existing methods of producing river flow data during periods of flooding. Other recommendations tabled included an independent review into grant processes, financial support eligibility and communication improvements. Berri Barmera Council mayor Ella Winnall told the committee communication levels were not adequate to reassure the community's uncertainty. "State government communications protocols exacerbated issues, with some having days required for agencies to provide little more than a holding statement," she said when giving evidence in 2024. "[There was] an information void … [the] result was a shift in responsibility onto local government … which presented an additional burden and unhelpful distraction." Committee chair and opposition spokesperson for water Nicola Centofanti has called on the state government to adopt all 23 recommendations in full. "The committee was established to really listen to the voices of individuals, communities, local government and agencies," she said. "I think it should be an expectation that the premier and the government read the report and respond." Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government would assess the recommendations seriously and review "areas for improvement". "I can understand the emphasis on where there is room for improvement, you know, that is a good thing," he said. The government's procurement processes during the flood recovery were also thrust into the spotlight for lacking "transparency". Green Industries SA (GISA) awarded a $56 million flood clean-up contract to a Melbourne-based contractor, despite local businesses being ready to help on the ground. The report recommended an Auditor-General review of the state government's procurement and tendering process surrounding the floods. It noted an external review found it was neither misleading or deceptive, but industry stakeholders paid costs for tendering a process that did not proceed. Another recommendation included to avoid issuing contracts that follow a cost-plus model where possible. Ms Centofanti said this was because the model lacked basic safeguards for taxpayers. "Under cost-plus models, contractors are paid for their actual expenses, plus a guaranteed profit margin regardless of performance or efficiency," she said. "It can create a perverse incentive to inflate costs and drag out timelines." A government spokesperson said GISA acknowledged aspects of the procurement process could have been managed better. They said the River Murray flood was "unprecedented" in scale, which posed significant recovery challenges. "Any confusion experienced by local businesses, while regrettable, was minor in scope and reflects the broader complexity involved in rapidly mobilising resources under such urgent circumstances," the spokesperson said. "It is not uncommon in procurement processes, particularly those responding to emergencies, for businesses to submit tenders without ultimately receiving work, and we recognise the associated efforts and costs involved."
