It is thanks to The Yarra Riverkeeper Association’s passion for our magnificent Birrarung (Yarra) River that after decades of neglect, the river is slowly being restored to good health. The Association’s annual Birrarung Riverfest, held each September, has tripled in size and popularity since the inaugural event in 2023. Apart from educating us about the importance of Victoria’s major watercourse, the events tackle specific problems, such as stormwater pollution and the threat that poses to the health of Birrarung.
However, this year one Riverfest event included an informative walk hosted by the Wurundjeri Narrap Rangers from the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation. They led a group on a walk around the Bolin Bolin Billabong in Bulleen, talking about the cultural heritage and ecological significance of the area, the challenges facing Bolin Bolin and the collaborative approach taken to restore and safeguard the billabong’s ecological integrity whilst protecting and maintaining vital cultural values. They emphasised their ongoing learning in developing a waterway assessment methodology to better understand cultural and environmental values to inform future water management. Some aspects of this covered the importance of working with family and learning from elders.
Returning water to the billabong to mimic more natural flow patterns and ensure adequate movement of aquatic life is imperative, so that Luk (short-finned eel), Rakali (native water rat), Long and Short Necked Turtles, and Galaxia (native fish) can continue to live in Bolin Bolin. An important action to facilitate this was implemented in 2017 when Melbourne Water deepened the channel into the billabong so that it will fill more often when the Birrarung floods.
Eel research includes acoustic tagging of Iuk to track them on their journey from the billabong into the Birrarung and all the way to the Coral Sea where they spawn. Dr Joe Greet (Senior Research Fellow of Wetland Plant Ecology at Melbourne University) told us of one eel caught during a recent Bolin Bolin tagging event that had previously been tagged at Yering Billabong, showing that the billabongs of the Birrarung form a connected network used by eels for migration.
A cultural burn was also done last February, the first time Wurundjeri have used fire in the area for about 150 years. The rangers plan to burn regularly to control introduced weeds and increase the ephemeral indigenous plants, as some introduced grasses can be toxic to the local kangaroos.
Extensive damage caused by local feral deer was observed during the walk and there was deep concern about the erosion they cause, including destruction of the bush and the negative impact on native wildlife such as the local swamp wallabies.
This informative experience was made possible by group leader David Mullins (Ranger Program Manager) and Damien Nicholson (Crew Leader), with the assistance of a grant to the Yarra Riverkeeper Association from the North East Link Community Fund. Riverkeeper Operations Manager, Carina Watson, did a marvellous job organising the event with assistance from the Friends of Yarra Flats Park. If you are interested in joining these organisations, please check out
Learning from country at our largest suburban billabong, Bolin Bolin at Bulleen. The Narrap Rangers leading the group are wearing the high viz jackets.
https://yarrariver.org.au/volunteer/ or https://www.friendsofyarraflatspark.org.au/ No experience is necessary, just an enthusiasm for our environment.