River Stories
Every river tells a story. And so do the people who live along them. That's why we've been capturing the stories of those people who love and care for our rivers.
Throughout history, cultural knowledge and values have been passed from generation to generation through the use of stories. They bring to life the lessons of our past and paint pictures of our future. Yet more often river advocates and managers rely on facts and figures to influence decision makers and garner public support.
We've walked a different path.
For many years, we've found capturing stories a useful way to highlight the many social and cultural values of healthy rivers. Our first program - Your River - has been building an online living record of the people who love and care for Victoria’s great rivers and wetlands since 2004.
Take a minute and explore these rivers through the eyes of these river champions.
North-East Rivers
Western Rivers
Gippsland Rivers
Greater Melbourne Rivers
In 2007 we took this work with stories to a new level with our Storylines project, which celebrates the stories of personal connection to Murray River wetlands through the use of the digital story-telling.
Telling stories through new media
Digital storytelling combines the compelling tradition of oral storytelling with new technologies, creating short, autobiographical video-clips that explore the authors' own story and experience. The production process brings together video, photos, text, music and voice-over narration. This modern-day form of capturing and sharing stories offers a powerful way to celebrate and the personal moments, memoirs, and connections that make a place unique.
Our Storylines participants tell us that they found the experience of celebrating their connection to this special place to be an empowering experience. They were left with a feeling of renewed confidence and determination to defend it.
Watch some of their stories here
Each story we capture is different, but ultimately they are all the same. In an era of branding and marketing, what came through was that people love their rivers. And any damage to those rivers, damages the lives of the people who love them.
Now, it's over to you...
Tell a River story
The project is now inviting the general public to contribute their own anecdotes and memories about rivers. So far we have received a handful of evocative contributions about the Yarra. We look forward to reading many more and, more importantly, publishing them on our website.
Catch up with the latest news and stories below.
Scientists reject plan to save Murray-Darling
Thursday, 19 January 2011
Tom Arup, The Age
A group of Australia's leading scientists have rejected the proposed plan to save the Murray-Darling, saying basic information needed to have confidence it will...
moreSandridge beach given thumbs down today
Friday, 30 December 2011
Tom Arup, The Age
Sandridge beach at Port Melbourne will be declared off limits for swimming today after the Environment Protection Authority forecast its water quality to be ''unacceptable...
moreRiver health
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Shepparton News
The Goulburn River provides more water for use in Victoria than any other river except the mighty Murray itself.
Victorian Water Accounts figures from 2009/10 show 974 billion litres...
moreWater restrictions eased to stage one
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Alison Savage, 774 ABC Melbourne
Melbourne's water restrictions will be eased to stage one from today.
It is the first time since 2006 that restrictions have been eased to the lowest...
moreBasin Plan fails rivers and the environment again
Monday, 28 November 2011
Time for Gillard Government to get Plan back on track.
The draft Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a flawed proposal that will fail to deliver on its legislative requirement to provide a...
moreBaillieu Government gets 'fail' on environment
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Alison Savage, ABC News
The Victorian Government's green credentials have been criticised in an a href="http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/envirowatch-2011-one-...
morePipeline decision breaks promise to return water to environment
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Today the state’s leading environment group, Environment Victoria, condemned the Baillieu Government for its decision to make water from the north-south pipeline...
moreBackwards March calls on Premier Baillieu to change direction on environment
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Over 1000 Victorians are expected to march backwards from Parliament House today at 1 pm to highlight the direction the Baillieu Government is taking Victoria on...
moreVictoria state agenda to be centred on ETS costs
Saturday, 22 October 2011
John Ferguson, The Australian
The cost impact of the national emissions trading scheme will form the centrepiece of the Baillieu government's review of Victoria's climate change...
moreVictorian Government can't pick and choose on Basin Plan
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Environment Victoria has welcomed the announcement today that the Federal Government is investing $1.2 billion in northern Victorian irrigation districts to return water to the...
more
Twitter
2012 -
make or break for the Murray-Darling!
This year is going to be one of big questions and decisions for our biggest river system. The questions is - will the final version of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)'s Basin Plan do enough to keep our rivers healthy in the...
more
2011
a year in the life of the Healthy Rivers campaign
And what a year it’s been! I came back to work in January in the midst of some of the biggest floods Victoria has ever seen. My first appointment was a trip to Bendigo to present to the a target="_blank" href="http...
more
Here's to a Christmas
without dead fish
A little over a year ago, the beach town of Anglesea had dead fish floating down its river.
While some people pointed the finger at the Alcoa's coal...
more
What will the Basin Plan deliver
for the Goulburn River?
The Goulburn River provides more water for use in Victoria than any other river except the mighty Murray itself. In 2009/10 a whopping 974 billion litres was...
more
It's passed!
We officially have a price on pollution!
Today I went to Parliament House in Canberra to witness the carbon price legislation being passed into law. It was a humbling and exciting occasion.
The day began with the final speeches in the Senate. The public gallery...
more
Flickr
- Victoria: green and growing |
- Water Security, Healthy Rivers: Our Vision for Melbourne |
- An Audit of Seven Environmental Bulk Entitlements – Recommended, Planned, and Actual Release of Environmental Water to Victoria’s Stressed Rivers |
- Submission to 2009 Biennial Assessment of progress in Implementation of the National Water Initiative |
- Environment Victoria’s submission to the draft Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy |
- Inquiry into Melbourne's Future Water Supply |
- Environment Victoria submission to Environment Effects Statement for the Victorian Desalination Project |
- Submission to the EPBC investigation of the Sugarloaf Pipeline |
- Environment Victoria submission to Project Impact Assessment of the Sugarloaf Pipeline Proposal |
- Submission to Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy Discussion Paper |
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The Flow Project explores the social, cultural, environmental, poetic, and spiritual... more
