Heritage Resources

This content is currently under review. Statistics date from 1990.

The Murray-Darling Basin is an ancient land and the location of much of Australia's history. It is not the purpose of this page to provide even an outline of that history, but rather to give an indication of some of the places, events and people that have contributed to it (Eastburn 1990, Powell 1993). In particular, the section provides an indication of some of the Basin's heritage resources. The Macquarie Dictionary defines heritage as "the culture, traditions and national assets preserved from one generation to another". Whilst there is clearly a wide meaning to the term heritage, the emphasis here is on the physical features and built structures, together with some of the people and events associated with them.

Many places of heritage value have been placed on the 'Register of the National Estate', Australia's national inventory of natural, historic and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders heritage places, compiled by the Australian Heritage Commission (AHC 1994). The Register includes "those places, being components of the natural environment of Australia, or the cultural environment of Australia, that have aesthetic, historic, scientific or social significance or other special value for future generations, as well as for the present community". A place can thus be 'special' for a variety of reasons.

Geological and archaeological history

Especially over recent years, discoveries by geologists and archaeologists have added to the historical record of the Basin and also its heritage resources. In turn, they continue to attract both professional scientists and tourists. There are many sites of geological and archaeological interest and importance in the Basin, of which the following are illustrations. At Lightning Ridge, fossils some 125 million years old of ancestors of the platypus have been found. At Canowindra, removal of a bend in a road led to one of the world's largest discoveries of fossil fish. Thousands of specimens more than 360 million years old were discovered, including rare and previously unknown species, such as an armoured fish and an air-breathing one. Two "Age of Fishes" museums are being built, one on the find site and the other in Canowindra.

Archaeological evidence suggests that humans arrived in northern Australia at least 60,000 years ago and in the Basin up to 45,000 years ago. Human occupation was followed by the extinction of large native megafauna, such as giant wombats (Diprotodon), giant flightless birds (Genyornis) and large kangaroos (Sthenurus), though whether or not the extinctions were due to human activities or climate change is a matter of archaeological debate. At Cuddie Springs, south of Brewarrina, traces of blood have been found on stone handaxes more than 30,000 years old in association with bones of the extinct animals. Of even greater significance are the finds of grinding stones used to grind seeds which have also been dated at more than 30,000 years old. Having traces of starch and plant residues, they are possibly the oldest direct evidence yet found in the world for the preparation of grain-based foods (Sydney Morning Herald, March 9, 1996). The extinction of the megafauna almost certainly contributed to the build-up of the native vegetation and the colossal fires, which in turn changed the vegetation and led to land degradation.

Aboriginal heritage

The Murray-Darling River system has been of extreme importance to Aboriginal people through almost the entire period of their habitation of Australia. There are at least 10,000 known Aboriginal sites in the Basin, from all phases of their occupation, with the rivers and flood plains being of particular importance. Many are of great scientific value and many are of considerable significance to Aboriginal peoples as symbols of the richness and antiquity of their culture (Jones 1988).

The Aboriginal history extends over at least 45,000 years, with archaeological evidence from such things as shell middens, quarries, rock shelters with archaeological deposits (e.g. stone artefacts), open camp sites, rock paintings and engravings, axe grinding rocks with their grooves, burial grounds, and the sacred and ceremonial sites to be found throughout the Basin (VAS nd). Lake Mungo and other lakes of the Willandra system contain evidence from around 40,000 years ago (see below). Excavations at Keniff Cave put the occupation of the headwaters of the Darling at at least 20,000 years ago. The Kow Swamp burial site in northern Victoria is between 13,000 and 9,000 years old. In 1994, the lowering of water levels in Lake Victoria for maintenance purposes, revealed more than 10,000 Aboriginal burials dating back between 3,000 and 4,000 years, one of the largest burial sites ever discovered (MDBC 1998). Of more recent origin are the many carved and scarred trees from which such things as bark canoes, shields, boomerangs and carrying dishes were cut. These are to be found along most of the Basin's waterways. In the central Murray area, there may have been sites of semi-permanent settlements with high population densities (MDBMC 1987, 353-355).

Many of the Aboriginal sites are listed in the Register of the National Estate. However, apart from a few well known examples, they are not identified here as the traditional owners do not want there locations disclosed. The rivers were of great importance to the Aboriginal peoples, especially as sources of food, as illustrated by the fish traps of the Ngemba in the Barwon River at Brewarrina*. Some 40 kilometres west of Cobar, hundreds of paintings by the Wongaibon people colour the rock overhangs at Mt Grenfell Historic Site, while at the Mootwingee Historic Site, there is a whole hillside of engravings, constituting one of the greatest collections of Aboriginal art in New South Wales. In Queensland's Carnarvon Gorge National Park, on the northern boundary of the MDB, are some of the best examples of pre-historic stencil rock art in Australia. The Gunderbooka Range, south of Bourke, contains a large number of sites, including rock art over 5,000 years old, of great significance to the Ngemba people, the traditional owners.

* :  Some of the fish traps in the Brewarrina district are being restored in conjunction with the Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum.

European heritage

The Murray-Darling Basin contains much of importance in Australia's European heritage, from the earliest days of European exploration to the present. As with the Aboriginal peoples, the rivers played an important part in the exploration and settlement. Hume and Hovell made the first European sightings of the Murray in 1824 and the Darling in 1829. The use of the rivers for transportation made a major contribution to the settlement of the Basin and the development of the pastoral industry, especially from the 1850s. Paddle steamers reached as far as Albury in 1855, Gundagai in 1858, and Walgett in 1861. The boats supplied the towns and stations with their needs and carried wool and other products to markets. When Mungindi, on the Queensland border, was reached in 1893, 6,700 kilometres of the Murray-Darling river system had been navigated. As indicated below, such places as Goolwa, Morgan, Echuca and Bourke were major river ports, many features of which remain, as well as shipwrecks and other sites along the rivers (Kenderdine 1993; 1994).

As indicated in the Mining and Minerals Production section, the goldrushes, starting with Australia's first one at Ophir, near Bathurst, in 1851, have also left their mark on many parts of the Basin's landscape. In terms of heritage resources, this is especially true in terms of a number of towns, such as Bendigo, Beechworth, Adelong, Peak Hill, Sofala (Australia's oldest surviving gold town), and Hill End, 80 kilometres north of Bathurst, a gold rush village almost untouched by modern development, and now a Historic Site. It has long been an attraction for artists, including Russell Drysdale ('The Cricketers' being one of his most well-known works), Donald Friend and Brett Whiteley.

There are other places worthy of mention. Millthorpe, near Blayney, is of great heritage importance as an outstanding example of a small Australian country town of the late nineteenth-early twentieth century, with historic and aesthetic qualities. Lockhart is known for the verandahs that run the full length of the main street, and which have been classified by the National Trust. Kyneton is known for its early bluestone buildings. In 1888, Tamworth became the first city in Australia to light its streets with electricity.

Much of Australia's history as a federation is associated with Canberra (see Tourism), especially in terms of such buildings as Old Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, and Anzac Parade. Earlier, it was Sir Henry Parkes's Tenterfield speech in October 1889 that set in motion the movement towards federation, while the Corowa Federation Conference in July 1893 clearly outlined the steps to be taken by the colonies that led to the achievement of Federation in 1901.

In many of the towns and rural locations, as well as the local museums, there are commercial, government, and rural buildings of historical significance and heritage value. Distinctive buildings dating from the 1890s are to be found in Dubbo, Bourke and Moree. In Renmark, there are number of buildings built by the Chaffey Brothers; there is the Cobb & Co. coach factory in Charleville; Leeton and Griffith, as well as Canberra, were planned by the architect Walter Burley Griffin.

Some places are associated with particular inventions: the Howard rotary hoe was developed at Gilgandra; the Dethridge wheel, for measuring the quantities of water provided to irrigation farms, was developed in the Tatura region of northern Victoria; and the first lift-span bridge in New South Wales crosses the Darling at North Bourke.

Other places are associated with particular people: Talbingo was the birthplace of Miles Franklin; Dorothea Mackellar lived at Gunnedah; Henry Lawson was born at Grenfell and Banjo Paterson near Orange; Glenrowan is the heart of Ned Kelly country; Don Bradman was born at Cootamundra; while the French writer, Paul Wenz, was a long-time resident of Forbes. The famous Coo-ee March in 1915 started at Gilgandra.

Other places are of scientific interest, such as the memorial to Cactoblastis and prickly pear at Boonarga, near Chinchilla; and the site of the former tracking station in the Orroral Valley, near Canberra, which was involved in the early Space Shuttle voyages and the landing on the Moon.

There are landscapes associated with people of non-English origins, such as the Welsh miners, Chinese miners and market gardeners in the goldrush areas, Italian market gardeners in the Daylesford area, and Greek and Italian fruit growers in many of the irrigation areas. At Glen Innes in 1992, the Celtic Council of Australia established a stone monument to commemorate the contribution of Celtic races to Australia. Cooma is associated with the migration of people of many European nationalities after World War II to participate in the construction of the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme (see Electricity Generation).

Some case studies

Willandra Lakes

The Willandra Lakes, 150 kilometres north-west of Balranald, contain evidence of Aboriginal life dating back over 40,000 years. Once a series of large fresh water lakes along what was the main channel of the Lachlan River, they provided a source of food for Aboriginal people who lived on their shores. The people remained after the lakes dried up some 15,000 to 18,000 years ago, with the warming of the climate, and their descendants were still living in the area when squatters settled in the 1850s and when Burke and Wills travelled through in 1860. The 29,460 hectare Mungo National Park was established in 1979, recognition of its natural, aboriginal and European heritage. This includes the famous 'Walls of China', a massive lunette on the shores of Lake Mungo that has been extensively eroded. Further recognition of the area's significance came with its World Heritage listing in 1981, though the decision has not been without its difficulties for the pastoral lease-holders in the area.

River ports

As indicated above, the rivers played a key role in the early development of the Murray-Darling Basin and served as a water highway for over sixty years (MDBC 1993). Critical to this were the paddle-steamers and a number of river ports, especially Goolwa, Morgan, Echuca, and Bourke.

Located near the mouth of Murray, Goolwa was once a thriving port, for wool, grain and merchandise, and a paddle steamer building and repair centre. The nature of the mouth of the River Murray prevented it becoming a sea port and contributed to Australia's first public railway being built from Goolwa to Port Elliot in 1854 and extended to Victor Harbour in 1864. Goolwa lost its importance by the turn of century with the extension of railways from Adelaide (especially the line to Morgan) and Melbourne. Goolwa is now an important tourist centre, largely based on its heritage resources (not only individual buildings, but the town centre as a whole) and the tourist river boats, especially the new and restored paddle-steamers. The railway has been revived as a tourist service, named 'The Cockle Train'. Also important are the nearby River Murray mouth and the Coorong (see National Parks and other Reserves). The Signal Point Interpretive Centre is now playing a key role in bringing to life the history and heritage of Goolwa and the river trade as a whole (Tuckwell 1988).

The railway that eliminated Goolwa's importance as a river port gave special place to Morgan, located at the point where there the westward flowing Murray turns abruptly south. For little more than a decade at the end of the nineteenth century, following the construction of the line from Adelaide in 1878, Morgan was a major trading centre and the busiest river port in South Australia. Further railway expansion put an end to Morgan's importance as a river port, though its own rail service survived until 1969. Its unique character and continuing attraction date from this period, as many of the buildings and structures have survived and been restored.

At its peak, Echuca was the largest inland port in Australia, its 1.2 kilometres long wharf employing some 300 men and handling 100 vessels a week. Wool was the main commodity. This prosperous period followed the completion of the railway from Melbourne, a distance of some 200 kilometres, in 1864. The expansion of the railway network, and the fact that the railways owned the wharf, caused the decline of the river trade from the 1880s. It had virtually ended by 1910, though some boats continued to operate until the 1940s. Much of the wharf and many of the paddle-steamers remain. For example, the P.S. Pevensey, built in 1871 and now restored, is one of a number of paddle-steamers that operate river cruises. Many of Echuca's old buildings also remain, some dating from the 1850s, especially in the town's old port and commercial area. The restoration of this area is re-creating the port and surroundings as it was at its peak of activity and providing a major heritage resource and tourist attraction.

Paddle-steamers first reached Bourke, on the upper Darling, in the late 1850s and their services became particularly important in the 1870s, bringing in supplies and taking wool to markets by way of Morgan and Echuca. The pattern changed in 1885 with the completion of the railway from Sydney, after which the riverboats plied to and from the Bourke railhead. The wharves were not completed until 1898, after the river trade had peaked. Motor vehicles soon replaced the riverboats, the camel-trains and the bullock carts. The wharves became unusable and were later demolished. A new wharf has been built as a tourist attraction, to complement Bourke's many historic buildings that date from the 1880s and 1890s.

Goldrush towns

Many of the Basin's towns date from goldrushes and they contain buildings of historic and heritage significance (see Mining and Minerals Production). Apart from Bendigo, Castlemaine was one of Victoria's larger gold towns and many of the buildings in the town's central area, dating from the 1850s and 1860s, serve the same purposes as when they were built. Beechworth was the centre of the largest goldfield in Australia. Bathurst was the first town established west of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, but its prosperity dates from the goldrushes in the area in the second half of the nineteenth century. The parts of the town dating from this period contain much of architectural, historic and cultural value. The discovery of the 258 ounce 'Mother Shipton' nugget brought some 20,000 people to Temora in the early 1880s. As mentioned in the introduction to this page, other goldrush towns include Adelong, Sofala, Peak Hill, and Hill End.

Country towns

Carcoar, in the Belubulla Valley, is a nineteenth century village that has essentially retained its integrity with few modern intrusions. Up to the 1860s, it was an important administrative centre. It has a range of different types and forms of buildings, many of them important for their architecture. The historic character and its setting give Carcoar its unique attractions. Yass, dating from the 1830s, has long been a fine wool centre, with an excellent collection of late nineteenth century commercial buildings. Now that the town's main street no longer forms part of the busy Hume Highway, thanks to a bypass, a major program is underway to restore the heritage value of individual buildings and the main street as a whole. Yass's heritage will be much more in evidence and easier to appreciate. Charleville, on the Warrego River, is at the southern end of the Matilda Highway that extends north to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria. Dating from 1868, Charleville has a number of historic buildings. From 1893 to 1920, it was the location of the Cobb & Co coach building factory. In November, 1922, the first regular Qantas service was from Cloncurry to Charleville. It was at Charleville that the Steiger Vortex Gun was invented in a vain attempt to break the 1902 drought.

Conclusion

This brief chapter provides no more than a short introduction to the heritage and Aboriginal resources of the Murray-Darling Basin. The Basin is an integral part of Australia's history and a vast historical storehouse. Much remains to be discovered and even more to be recorded, by the historians and the tourists.

Reading

AHC (1994): The Register of the National Estate. Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra.

Baker, R. & Lane, R. (nd): A Changing People in a Changing Land: options for a travelling exhibition. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.

Eastburn, D. (1990): The River Murray: history at a glance. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.

Gwynn-Jones, T. (1993): "Heritage attractions". pp. 130-131 in Reef, Range and Red Desert: the adventure atlas of Queensland, edited by D. Wadley. Department of Lands, Brisbane.

Jones, A. (Editor)(1988): Aboriginal Sites of New South Wales. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney.

Kenderdine, S. (1993): Historic Shipping on the River Murray: a guide to the terrestrial and submerged archaeological sites in South Australia. Department of Environment and Land Management, Adelaide.

Kenderdine, S. (1994): Historic Shipping on the Murray River: a guide to the terrestrial and submerged archaeological resources in New South Wales and Victoria. NSW Department of Planning, Sydney.

MDBC (1993): Inland Shipping: the navigation of the Murray-Darling River system. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.

MDBC (1998): Lake Victoria: finding the balance. A response to the competing interests of cultural heritage, environment and resource use. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.

MDBMC (1987): Murray-Darling Basin Environmental Resources Study. Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council, Canberra.

Powell, J.M. (1993): The Emergence of Bioregionalism in the Murray-Darling Basin. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.

Tuckwell, F. (1988): Signal Point: where the river ends and the story begins. Signal Point River Murray Interpretive Centre Support Group, Goolwa.

VAS (nd): Southern Murray Resources Kit. Victorian Archaeological Survey, Melbourne/Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.