BGM_The Wild Birrarung

Before it was tame, straightened, and controlled, the Birrarung (Yarra River)-was a wild and unpredictable force of nature. In this episode of Down the Yarra, we strip back the concrete banks as well as the flood barriers to uncover the river’s true, untamed past. We explore how the Birrarung once flowed freely, creating vast wetlands and billabongs, sustaining the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people for tens of thousands of years. We also dive into how colonists saw the river as a problem to be solved-draining swamps, straightened its course, and ultimately changing its very nature entirely. But what have we lost in the process? And can we bring any of it back again? Plus, in our next episode, we look at the Birrarung’s individual past-from a life-giving waterway to a toxic dumping ground. Trigger warning: The episode contains discussion on flooding, environmental destruction, and colonial interventions that some listeners may find distressing.