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Living in Melbourne, a city blending natural beauty with culture, brings immense joy. Weekends exploring with my children, especially around the Yarra River, are cherished. Strolling along the riverbanks, admiring modern and historical structures, I'm captivated. These scenes evoke appreciation for civilization and curiosity about the Yarra's history. I ponder how Indigenous people harmonized with the river, sparking my quest for its historical significance.

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How can you start to see connections to place through this artefact?

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How can you start to see connections to place through this artefact?

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My love for the scenic beauty of the Yarra River often leads me to explore various articles about it. One such article introduced an intriguing concept – "Rivers are ancestral beings" In this article, it suggests an idea that could bridge the concept of Nature as a legal entity with the Indigenous worldview, which perceives Nature as a complex web of ancestral connections woven into a network of mutual dependence and guardianship between humans and the natural world (Pelizzon et al., 2023). This perspective has helped me recognize the profound links between the Yarra River and its surrounding environment.

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How can this artefact help you learn with place? 

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How can this artefact help you learn with place? 

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As I reflect on the history of the Yarra River and its profound connection with the Indigenous people, and then look at the vibrant vitality of the Yarra River today, where modernity and ancient civilization coexist seamlessly, it constantly reminds me of the importance of loving nature and living harmoniously with it. It seems to emphasize the need for us to respect and appreciate the natural world. Only with reverence can this harmony be everlasting. "We are part of this land, and this land is part of us,". (Murphy & Kennedy, 2017). When the Indigenous people welcome us to live on this land, we should also acknowledge that we have a responsibility to care for everything within this land.

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How can you start to connect this to the concept of past-present?

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How can you start to connect this to the concept of past-present?

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My deep admiration for the picturesque Yarra River often leads me to explore its wonders. In the past, the Wurundjeri people, custodians of Melbourne's land, viewed the Yarra River as more than just water. It was life, nourishment, and a spiritual symbol deeply rooted in their heritage. To them, the river wasn't a mere waterway; it was a living entity that provided sustenance, shaping their way of life and nurturing a profound connection with nature."We can begin to move away from seeing rivers as merely objects that we may use as we wish, to seeing them as living entities, with whom we are all in a lasting, reciprocal relationship,"  (Pelizzon et al. 2023.) The reason the Yarra River thrives today is largely attributed to how the Wurundjeri people treated it. They didn't perceive it as a mere object but as a living entity, showing deep respect for the river and the natural environment. This perspective has allowed the Yarra River to maintain its health and vitality over time.

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Pelizzon, A.,  Donnell, E. O., &amp; Poelina, A. (2023, September 27). Australia’s rivers are ancestral beings. Pursuit. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/australia-s-rivers-are-ancestral-beings
Murphy, J., &amp; Kennedy, L. (2017, August 9). Welcome to country by Aunty Joy Murphy &amp; Lisa Kennedy. music by Geoffrey Gurrumu Yunupingu. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNYjXliUW7o