35
oJOOJ
ISBN 0-86905-774-X
Environmental Science Report Series No. 00-3
Published by the School of Environmental Science
Murdoch University, South Street
Perth, Western Australia 6150
and the Water and Rivers Commission
3 Plain Street
East Perth, Western Australia 6004
© Susan A. Moore, 2000
This publication is copyright. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act no part of it may in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other means be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
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~~ Gonlenls ""'*'~ 1 . Introduction .............................................................................................. 5 2. Historical Observations of the River ........................................................... 7
Historical Use for Recreation ............................................................................. 7 The River Training Scheme .............................................................................. 1 0 Historical Use as Part of Farming Activities ...................................................... 14
3. The River as Part of Farming Activities ...................................................... 15 Stock Use and Fencing ................................................................................... 15 The River as a Nuisance .................................................................................. 16 Water as the "Lifeblood" of a Farm ................................................................. 17
4. The River for its Aesthetic and Recreational Qualities ............................... 18 Swimming and Boating ................................................................................... 18 Other Recreation Activities .............................................................................. 19 Tranquillity and Respite ................................................................................... 20 Aesthetic Qualities ..... : .................................................................................... 21
5. The River as a Place for Enjoying Nature .................................................. 23 6. Deterrents to Visiting the River ................................................................ 25 7. Current Environmental Management Activities ......................................... 26
River Restoration Efforts .................................................................................. 26 Fencing .......................................................................................................... 27 Tree Planting .................................................................................................. 29
8. Current Environmental Management Issues ............................................. 30 Weeds and Fire Safety .................................................................................... 30 Subdivisions ................................................................................................... 30 Ownership ..................................................................................................... 31
9. Concluding Thoughts .............................................................................. 32 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................... 35
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~- Y?ejleclions on !be :Jluon -·
'As a child they [the River] were all full of pools and trees and we used to play down there. Then they bulldozed it ... '
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~~ One~~
.9niroduclion The Avon River Basin is one of Australia's major river systems, draining an area larger than Tasmania and extending from beyond Southern Cross in the east to the Darling Scarp in the west. The actual naming of the River was not recorded, but it is assumed that it was named after the Avon River in England. Land use over much of its basin ( -70%) is dry land agriculture supporting a widely dispersed, predominantly rural population. Larger towns include Northam, York, Toodyay and Merredin. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Basin was occupied by Aboriginal people living along the River banks. Settlers followed an expedition led by Dale in July 1930 into the open grassy woodlands and within a decade all the River frontage was occupied.
Settlement along the River was troubled by numerous floods. As a result, in 1957 the River Training Scheme began. The Scheme, requested by local councils, involved removing all dead trees, logs and other material from the River channel and ripping the River bed to induce scouring and hence form a deeper channel. The outcome was unintended, with lots of sediment being freed to move along the channel and fill pools. Today, 3 of the 22 pools between Toodyay and Beverley are totally filled and only 4 remain close to their original condition. The remainder are partly filled and in danger of filling completely. 1
By 1900 the River was beginning to become saline. Following clearing of the eastern parts of the Basin in the early to mid 1900s, salinity levels increased further. Today, the salinity levels are such that the water is too salty for human consumption.
In the spring and summer of 1996/97, a number of landholders (27) along the Avon River in the Shires of Northam, York and Beverley took photos of special places on their properties, including the River, as part of a research project by the School of Environmental Science, at Murdoch University. The project was investigating the "sense of place" of people who use their lands for incomedirected agricultural activities. Those involved, for some farms this included three generations, took photos of special places on their lands and then discussed the photos with us. This book is a compilation of their photos and views about the River. Comments on Yenyening Lakes, the Mackie River and Spencers Brook, all part of the Avon River Basin (see map), are also included. A list of those who kindly contributed their time, photos and comments to this project is at the back of this book.
The remainder of this book is the words and photos of these families. I've made very few comments, only enough to introduce new sections and in a few places summarise to draw together comments. We start with historical observations of the River, then move onto three key roles of the River - as part of the farming enterprise, as a place valued for its aesthetic and recreational qualities and lastly as a place for enjoying nature. The breadth of comments on these roles illustrates very well the complexity of relationships landholders have with the
1. Avon River System Management Committee and the Waterways Commission (1993) Avon River Management Strategy.
Government of Western Australia, Perth.
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·- :Rejfeclions on !he ::7/uon -·
N. ~
0 10 20 30 110 5o
Scale in Kilometres
Middle and lower reaches of the Avon River
River. This complexity is illustrated further by comments on deterrents to visiting the River. The last part of the book brings together comments and photos centred on management.
I hope you enjoy reading and browsing this book as much as I enjoyed exploring the Avon River with the landholders and their families whose photos and comments appear on the following pages. The views, ideas and facts on the following pages are theirs, not mine as a researcher, nor what may be regarded as commonly-known or agreed knowledge. The comments and photos are anonymous to help direct reader's attention to the book's substance rather than judging the content by its origins (ie, by who said what).
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....
~$® Jwo G=*<~
Jh:Sioricaf 0£serualions of !he !Riuer Fond recollections were shared regarding past use of the Avon for recreation. Many centred on swimming in the River pools. Numerous comments were made about the River Training Scheme, with most being critical of its consequences, especially the silting up of the pools. Observations were also shared about past use of the River as part of farming activities, particularly as a place for washing sheep.
..._, Jh"slorica/Wse for Y?ecrealion _.."
Most of the recreational use involved children, usually swimming or boating or just having fun:
And it used to be lovely having a canoe ... there was so much entertainment, especiaUy with children, that we hardly ever went to town or sought entertainment elsewhere. All our city friends used to love coming up and staying here and having a lovely time just being completely and utterly free.
It used to be lovely having a canoe .. .there was so much entertainment ...
Canoeing, boating and floating on the Avon were mentioned: When we were younger we used it [the Avon} quite a lot .. we used to canoe on it a lot with children when they were little_, which was lovely... we loved the old ruins ... We used to stop there and often picnic there and then go on again.
At the weekends we'd take the boat down. On the really hot days when they were younger (the children} we'd all go down after schoo~ and cool off and then come home.
But it's gorgeous. We used to launch these rubber tyres down here and just float down the River. It's the most wondeljitl sensation.
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'- :J(ejfeclions on lhe :Jlvon -·
Swimming and learning to swim were also popular: Ileamed to swim around here. In the Avon .. Theresa pipeline goes across. We used to dive o/f that rou couldn't touch the bottom .. .It was a deep river then. My eldest bloke was a champion swimmer and he used to train his swimming up and down here when he came home on school holidays. And the old man was too. He was a great swimmer and he did his training up here too. Up and down the River.
My eldest bloke was a champion swimmer and he used to train ... up and down here ...
When we were children the summer was very significant. The River- in those days we swum and spent- most of our recreation was the River. We didn't go to town to the pool because it didn't have a pool in the early days but up until the mid-'50s we swam and learnt to water ski and everything on the large pool
Pools provided a meeting place for people. Burlong Pool was described as a social centre for swimming. Changes to the pool were also described:
It fBurlong Pool} was the social centre of Northam as far as swimming went and that sort of thing. When I was a kid at Burlong Poo~ no one could touch the bottom of Burlong Pool There's an old pipe across the top that the railwater used to come down to the steam engines and we used to dive off that which is about, I don't know, it'd be 10 or 15ft above the wate7; and swim fUriously and you just couldn't find the bottom. You know, the water was always a bit murky, but I don't know anyone ever got to the bottom ... you go and walk across it now, it's full
People commented how they had used to swim in the River pools but that they were now full of silt:
That's where we used to swim and had a canoe and swing out of the trees and all that sort of thing. That's all silted up now. As a child they jthe River] were all full of pools and trees and we used to play down there. Then they bulldozed it, cleared the River so it wouldn't jloo~ 35 years ago. Should never have been done ... So the rivers aren't like they were 30 years ago. We used to swim in the pools.
Children also used the River for fishing, including catching gilgies (small freshwater crustacea):
We used to go fishing in the River for cobbler and there were masses of gilgies. I haven't been able to find a gilgie in the River for years and certainly no fish.
That's the pool all silted up, see, and all those trees. We!~ they are as green as green, all sheoaks, and when I was a kid there was a beautzji.tl pool .. You go and catch. .. gilgies ... There was no such thing as yabbies ... Fish. .. it must have been a pretty good river. .. You'd be catching minnows ... That's all we ever dzd
You go and catch ... gilgies .. .fish ... minnows ... That's all we ever did.
Shooting was another pass-time:
He did shoot, you know, the ducks, and there was always a fox there that was silly enough to come around him and he would clean fit} up as well
When I was a kid I used to go duck shooting there all the time.
Others enjoyed the "other worldness" of the River, as a place to go when work was over:
When I was young and I farmed on my own for years it was a pleasure to go down there in the River and walk around it and I used to be a shooter well Now when they got the bulldozer in they devastated it You could go down there and it was like being in another world with the big pools and all the paperbark and so forth.
You could go down there [to the River] and it was like being in another world ...
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~- :J?ejfeclions on lbe !7lvon -·
Use of Yenyening Lakes was also fondly recalled:
Yes, my father used to take us out, they used to have a little jetty out there and recreation facilities. A few of the locals had boats and you'd come out for a dnve. It was a real novelty when I was a child
.. . my father used to take us out, they used to have a little jetty out there ...
'"""' 7£e 'J?iuer Jraininy c'5c£eme --·
Many comments were made about the River Training Scheme. Most attributed the fllling of pools with sand to the Scheme and regarded it as a disaster, although there were comments that it had prevented flooding.
The character of the River pre Training Scheme was described:
Until they put the dozers through it was all zt had lis natural rapids and lzttle islands and before the dozers came through you couldn't nde a horse through that, through all the tea trees. Just the lzttle channels for the water. .. There was no way that if your stock got out there ... you 'd have a hell ofjob to find them .
... before the dozers came through you couldn't ride a horse through that ...
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The purpose of the Scheme was explained by a number of people:
Years ago we used to get a lot of flooding in Northam. This is back in the 50s and before they came through with bulldozers, n'ght through from Beverley. Right through. Just cleared the River. .. and that seemed to stop the flooding but that then created other problems like dropping the sand and filling up the places that had never been filled before.
The pwpose of the River training was to stop the towns flooding ... So you can't have it both ways and really when you think about it the River is a drain. The water has to drain away from the countryside ... the farmer that's got the problem has to be able to mediate it somehow .
. .. really when you think about it the River is a drain.
The main consequence of the Training Scheme mentioned was the pools silting up:
Going back in the 50s, 60s that pool would have been 18 or 20 foot deep. Now it's 6 inches deep. When they did the River Training Scheme down here it just silted up with once they bulldozed all the trees out and the silt just got carded down all the way down the River and all the pools that we had all the way along here alljust silted up.
Going back in the 50s, 60s that pool would have been 18 or 20 foot deep.
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·- :J'(ejfeclions on !.he :7fuon -,
Anyhow, in the 1950's ... they undertook a dredging programfor ... a 60 mile length of the Avon River and of course it increased the flow and brought all szlt in and absolutely flattened Burlong Pool out and now where it is supposed to be, you can walk across and there is no sign of anything there.
This poo~ the same poo~ same pool.. J0u can see how it's just about filled in with sand It used to be 30 feet deep; it's just about 6 inches now.
It used to be 30 feet deep; it's just about 6 inches now.
Several people mentioned the value of the Training Scheme in mitigating flooding:
It's fa bndgej never flooded since they dredged the River.
It's (cleaning out the River} just got all the water away because every year when we used to get a heavy winter that used to flood right up here, up this creek and that patch there ... all went salt ... but now it's gone .. .It's absolutely fantastic. I mean okay, it filled a few of the ponds in down the River but it did more good than harm .
... it's just a beautiful pool of water and it's quite magical to go there ...
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Because ofthe River Training Scheme, the remaining deep pools were described as being highly valued:
The big pool down the end of the property it's just a beautifUl pool of water and its quite magical to go there and see it ... Some of them have silted up since the River Training Scheme.
Oh we've got one of the best pools left on the River.
The depth of the River is filling up, because they clearect but the pool still exists, about a mile long .
... but the pool still exists, about a mile long.
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,,._ JBsloricafCZ!se as Yarl of Jarmin!J :Jlcliwlies _.,,
Past use of the River for stock grazing and watering and sheep washing was discussed:
There were sheep running on the banks of the Avon River and shepherded all year round and watered from the Avon Rive~; it was dnizkable.
There$ spnizgs that come in.. J used to run pigs here ... They used to drink out of the River all the time. So that$ how I know that the water was !freshj
I always thzizk just imaginzizg washing them (sheep} before they shore them and in those days too they used to shear them and then send the wool home to England to be sold
... just imagining washing them [sheep] before they shore them [photo shows posts from an old sheep race] ...
Early settlers lived on the River banks so they had easy access to water for domestic use:
The house was a bit closer to the River bank ... They used to get their water from the Rive~; of course. Most of the early people had their homes close to the bank where the water was. It was fresh water in those days.
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~~ Jhree ~,
Jhe !J?iuer as :Pari of Yarming7lcliu11ies Various approaches and views regarding stock use of the River were shared. The River as a "nuisance" in farming activities was also mentioned. Subsequent sections address using the River for recreation, including appreciating its contribution to an attractive landscape, and the River as a place to enjoy nature. Together, the following photos and quotes on current uses illustrate the complexity and variability of these utilitarian through to aesthetic relationships with the River.
~-- c'i!oc.k CZ/se and Yenciny ~,
There were many different views on stock using the River and its banks for grazing and water. Some commented that limited sheep grazing was reasonable and complemented other grazing activities on their property:
I mn stock in there probably three or four weeks of the year. The moment they look hungry out they come, and it's just so that it's not; you kno~ when the grass is green. You kno~ the moment they look hungry they start eating trees and so out they come. Some years I put them in there twice. I stick a mob in for a couple of weeks and just keep an eye on them.
I run stock in there [the River] probably three or four weeks of the year.
The perceived rights of landholders in relation to grazing the River were explained:
fin response to the question, do you still put sheep in the River?} We're entitled to. We own the land to the mzddle of the River. And we've elected not to. Let the River grow more trees after the great mistake they made when they made it a drain and took it away from being a nver. That was a real shame.
We've renewed it !fences} and that was before they gave the handouts. I think we need to be able to have access to controlled grazing and we haven't surrendered those dghts.
InARMA }the Avon River ManagementAuthodtyj we've banned stock in the Rzver.
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·- :Rejfeclions on !he :/Juan --
Fencing off all or part of the River was a common management activity for many landholders. Stock are then excluded. However, some landholders continue to use these fenced areas for grazing in one form or another while others see no need for fencing:
We've fenced offthe River. .. We see no reason to run stock in the River. .. And if there is any regeneration of trees it gives the trees a chance to grow.
We fenced all this River. .. he started way back here and we've fenced both sides of the River right down to the end of the pooL
We don't use, well, we might use a little bit of limited grazing at certain penods of the year along the River banks ... but the River's all fenced off both sides.
I fenced it off. The sheep were always going down and getting lost and .. salty water so I just fenced it off and now, unfortunately they still get over the fence and tend to go down there because they see the water.
Well, the sheep just go into it; yes. We could fence it off but I think it's better that the sheep go in because they keep down the undesirable things fweedsj as well and there is no way that they are really going to ruin it.
Several people mentioned using the River to water stock:
We've got most of ours (the Riverj fenced but we've got two areas that aren't fenced that we can put stock onto water.
And we felt that the River. .. it's a river which s there to be looked after as nature wants it Not with filling it up with stock. Obvzously where water points are needed .. you run a fence down and you work in your water areas. Nothing wrong with that but generally speaking we don't believe that stock should be
let in major watenuays .
. ..- Jhe :J?iuer as a Xuisance -...
For a number of landholders the River creates problems for them in managing their lands because it divides their farm or separates them from town and other services, like the school bus. The following comment is illustrative:
The bridge washed out this year. The water was a lot higher. When it finally went down, it takes a long time for the Shire to get and fix it all up but he managed to get sheep across. They had to ... sort ofjump down and across and he managed to get his vehicle across ... it cuts the farm in two ... .if the Rivers down a bit he can get it (machinery/ through the River... When the school bus is running and if the bridge was out Pd have to make arrangements with the bus driver to meet us somewhere else 'cos I couldn't get across the River.
The River was also mentioned as a source of pests and weeds:
Well, you've gotfencelines along the River and .. you've got to keep them in excellent condition because sheep, stray sheep, get up there and they're usually lousy and all the problems that go with that. There s the un-managed rive~; the earner of weeds, Paterson s curse, so thats a real problem.
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The bridge washed out this year. .. l couldn't get across the River.
,,__ Wafer as !be "/3ifeb'lood" of a Jarm _.,,
Many landholders talked about the importance of water to them - water for stock and for human use and consumption. They showed me photos of soaks, springs, dams and the River. A couple of illustrative comments follow:
There'S nothing like having oodles of water.. J love seeing plenty of water ... You cannot do wzthout zt. It'S the lifeblood.
Wherever you are you've got to have water. The more water you've got the better the property is usually.
Watching and commenting on the level of the River seemed part of this fascination with water:
And that's an exciting part too. We look at zt jthe Riverj practically every day and safh 'How'S the Rive~; is zt up, is it down?" and zt's very strange how sometimes we don't have any rain here at all and suddenly up comes the River and it'S rained down at Pingelly or somewhere or down the Dale. But it is really lovely watching it come and go.
Through this fascination, some intimately know the "habits" of the River and reflect on its levels:
That pool on this szde of the River is quzte deep. It's still there. This time of the year it's usually pretty low but because of all the rain we've ha~ the water's actually still .flowing a little bit whereas usually this time of the year zt's getting quite dry This one here'S quite a long stretch. Goes up behind the house ... in the winter time that would all be under water ... The water would come right up. This year it came very high.
-<~ G==k>-
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:J..he !J(iuer for 1/s !7/esl..helic and!J(ecrealiona/2uahlies The past uses of swimming and boating continue today although less frequently. Other leisure activities mentioned were walking, picnicking, camping and horseriding. The contribution of the River to an attractive landscape and as a place of tranquillity were also important.
,,._ c'iwimminy and :73oaliny--·
For most of those who mentioned swimming or boating, the River was a playground for children:
For---'S generation and even in his father's generation it was the most wondeljitl playground and for my children it was the most wondeiful playground And they had diving boards and all sorts of things out here. We had a great big pool ... My children used to dive off the trees and they had canoes and they'd caught gilgies and they had mudfights ... But now unfortunately the River is a bit polluted and these chzldren don't play in it much at all
And when the River's running they love to get down there and obviously now they're big enough to go down there we can let them go ... Play all sorts of games that little boys play.
It's the River they go jto_b and they come back black with muct from head to foot. And they've had mud fights. So it's the River that's the attraction.
Yenyening Lakes are used for waterskiing and general relaxation:
We spend a lot of time there, water skiing. We've got a small boat we take out and most weekends are spent there.
The lakes really are important to us because of recreation. Vflhere we used to go ducks hooting ... try and preserve it for the future ... We want to try and improve the quality of the water so we try and do our bit
The lakes really are important to us because of recreation.
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1\ ,
t f
Both children and adults use the River on occasions for canoeing and tube racing.
[Wej used to have a row boat there and enjoyed the River immensely ... We do have canoes.
We just paddle. Last year when my .friends came over when it was my birthday we went down there and Dad made a thing with tyre tubes, because he'djust had a race down the River. .. and it kept on tipping over so we just kept getting wet.
I've been in the tube races in the Avon. .. The kids used to inspire us. There were several of us used to take our kids and it was quite good jit.n.
..._ Giller !](ecrealion :7/c!iwlies _..._
People also use the River for walks, picnics and camping. Those enjoying walks were both landholders and other people visiting the ·River:
Some days I used to walk out to the rocks and then sometimes we'd just take our shoes off and go into the River and to islands in the mzddle.
Picnics were mentioned, often with friends:
We'd do down there mainly tfwe had .friends up and .for the picnic part of it
In the wintertime_ you know_ everything looks really lovely and you spend more time ... out in the paddocks and down at the River having picnics or whatever.
It was always very pretty that area around the bridge and a lot of people used to picnic around it
.. . a lot of people used to picnic around it [the bridge].
Camping was also a recreational activity mentioned:
The River's most probably the main attraction. .. with kids, tf they've had .friends_ it's the River they go to, they camp. .. That's all our kids want to do, is go over there ... That's their simple pleasure_ going camping in the River.
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~- :J?ejleclions on !be :Jluon -·
That's their simple pleasure, going camping in the River.
Horse-riding was another activity associated with the River:
Before I owned the place I rode horses up and down there (the Avon Riverj for years and I got all fired up. It must have been about four or five years ago and went riding every day for about three or four months, but then the first time I needed to be somewhere else at 5o 'clock in the mornin!J; I stopped and I haven't done it again.
Some landholders next to the River don't use it for recreation:
[In response to the question, do you use the River much?]
No. The sheep drink out of it. That's about all
~,.,_ 'JranrUifhfy and!J?espife ""*''
The River was noted as providing tranquillity:
I think it's nice to have it (the Riverj there. That water, that peaceful thing about if; I suppose.
I find; Fve sazd before when I go to Perth the ocean I find that unsettling but the River I find peaceful and calm.
The River also provides a contrast to the farm, a respite from the heat:
Oh it's cool down there, you know, even now it would be cool Obviously it is not coo~ coo~ but it's cooler- in the River it always is.
._, !7/eslhefic 2uahties ~
A number of people liked looking down onto the River and enjoying the River as a central feature of their local landscape:
(Looking at a photo taken towards York:} You get a lovely view towards Northam as well and you can actually look down the valley. It really shows up the valleY- the Avon River valley system .
... you can actually look down the valley ... the Avon River valley system.
Up on top of the hill you look down and then you can see the Avon River. .. One of the reasons I took the photo (isj because it shows you the River running through there, the Avon River floodplain ... and everythill{h and it shows you how ... sort of the look of the country and see how it hasn't been overly cleared
Up on top of the hill you look down and then you can see the Avon River ...
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~- :l?ejfeclions on lhe :Jluon -·
It's quite spectacular from up there. You see right down the River and back up the River .. .I think having a river's a bonus.
It's just a good vkw if that sweep looking up the River and looking towards Beverley.
Ws just a good view of that sweep looking up the River. ..
People also talked about the appeal of having a river pool on their land, especially when full of water:
But that pool really makes the farm, I reckon.
We just love that River. ~just love that pool That was the thing because you know it's part of the history of the property. And weve always just tried to maintain it to keep it right Like if trees do fall in it we've towed them out
Oh it's (the River( just aesthetically pleasing I think. . .It's always nice when it's full of water in the winter and I think it's quite nice when it's just ... sandy banks in the summer too. I think it's nice.
Well it (the River( certainly looks more picturesque if it's got water in it
... it's [the River] just aesthetically pleasing I think ...
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,~ ::ltue ~,
Jhe !l?tuer as a :?face for 0nfoyiny Xalure The bush on the River and the associated wildlife, especially the birds, were widely appreciated as illustrated by the following comments:
I just like to enjoy the wildlife, birds and blue wrens and odd kangaroos and .. especially the birds.
There -8 a lot of ducks. We've seen ducks, and .. those big spoonbills, and little tiny blue wrens. Often see them. Robin redbreasts. I used to have robin redbreasts out here when I.first came here. You don't get them now ... Rabbits and foxes. All those pesty things.
And this is where most of the wildlife seems to settle here (on the River( and we have all sorts of birds. Even have black swans.
It was only 10 days ago there was a pair of pelicans living on the River but there must have been something in there for them to live on.
And the birdlife, and the fact that we've got the bandicoots back. .. The reflection that go on in that pool is absolutely beautijit.L .. There were 30 ducks there ... The herons feed on the gilgies.
And the bird life, and the fact that we've got the bandicoots back ...
Yenyening Lakes were also appreciated for their birdlife:
!f you go down there it'S literally thousands of birdlife, duck of all different descriptions - seagulls, swans, swans even breed on our lakes. They don't breed here but they breed further east on a lake called Swan Lake.
Turtles were also a point of interest:
There used to be turtles in there. I don't know if there stzll are.
There'S turtles live there fin a pool in the Avon} .. They are still there today. Right there. I cleaned that little thing out the other dafh and there was ... the kids were all there ... what did I safh 8 or 10 turtles or something like that? Baby ones that b~ til4 you know, they get nearly afoot across. Maybe that'S stretching it a bit They are that b~ but there are little baby ones here. The kids were just scooping them out
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-- !J'(ejfeclions on i£e :Jluon -·
Several people also mentioned seeing echidnas and being excited that bandicoots were on their land:
Oh I saw one, an echidna down there, just walking down to the Rive~; he was so important. (The presence of bandicoots} has meant quite a lot How we found out we were concerned planting trees and the rabbits coming in. The River is a great channel for rabbits and foxes and cats. So we got the man from the APE (Agriculture Protection Board} to ask him about poisoning the rabbits when we put the trees in. He decided it wasn't a good idea but was thrilled to bits to find bandicoot burrows.
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~~ cSix ~,
7Jelerrenls lo Vi.S1Hny lhe !J?iuer People were concerned about the safety of their children, predominantly when the waters of the River were fast-flowing:
When we were kids we used to ride our bikes from the house at Mt Bakewell down to the River near the rubbish tip and the River would be absolutely flowing fast and here we were as kzds out on these branches leaning ove7; and our feet in the water. .. we didn't tell our mothers till years later. We would have got really into trouble if we told them we were down the River. We could have fallen in. It dzdn 't occur to us. We just used to go down there and play .. .It's a wonder we never fell in.
I look at it from a mother's point of view and I think; 'My God; that house was only a couple of hundred yards from the River" and I thought how she didn't lose any of those boys is a miracle.
The murkiness of the water was also a safety concern for those with children:
My father used to take us down. We weren't allowed to go down because it was dark water. I wouldn't swim in it notu; and it's fit.ll of turtles they'd probably chomp you up before you got out.
Snakes and other potentially dangerous animals were mentioned as making the River unattractive:
When I was a kid I was in Beverley and the River was pretty ugly and you went there, there were the snakes and stuff like that and I think people think the River's like the Avon River in England .. But it's not a pool !{they get back to its natural state it's a really harsh environment. Lots of snakes, lots of spiders and ants and even the fish. .. are the ones that have spikey bits on, cat fish so you couldn't even go swimming 'cos if you stepped on them you ended up in hospital And things like amoebic meningitis are rife along the River and people ... say you can swim in the River buf; you could and you can now but it's really a silly thing to do if you're a little kid because you get amoebic meningitis .. from European perspective looks really ugly.
The River is never very nice. There's always foxes or massies or something and no it's not much of an attraction.
The smell of the River in summer was regarded as unpleasant by some:
Gets a bit smelly sometimes when the water goes down but it's only in summertime.
The River was described as a drain and hence unattractive:
But the thing is, it's empty now anyway. There's no, or there might be a few water holes there now but within a couple of weeks -it's only a glonjied drain as far as we-Te concerned In winter it flows so fast that you can't get near it anyway. And now it's nothing. Well you could walk across it without getting your feet wet so the River itself is insigntficant
Salt and stock just about wrecked if; plus the Avon River now is just a ... what would you call it? It is just a drain for everyone else's rubbish and it is just filling in very quickly.
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Curren! 0nvironmenlaf !Jl(anayemenl :7fclivilies Current activities fell into three broad categories - efforts to restore the River channel to a more "natural" state, fencing to exclude stock and encourage regeneration of native vegetation, and tree planting.
_,_,!River !Res/ora/ion 0ffor!s _...
People were generally sceptical about whether the Avon River could be "restored":
This is the shame now that the River has silted up like it has_- it is a real pity because we will probably never ever get it back to the way it was.
The River down there is beautijitl It really is. It's a shame it's filled up. I dunno whether anyone's going to do anything about it .I0u know it's got to be all cleaned out again sometime ... Something's got to be done.
It's a shame it's filled up. I dunno whether anyone's going to do anything about it.
It is difficult in some respects. It's a long-term thing to get it back to anything to near what it was, even when I was a youth. Once they removed the trees it was the beginning of the end. Although the salinity part of it was starting prior to that., but once they removed all the trees out of it and the silt started to move there was a rapid decline particularly on our end of it where the fall's greater and the rate of the River increases. But long term, I wouldn't like to guess at the time frame to get it back to anything respectable .. .It will never be like it was in its pristine state before white man ever touched it.
The possibilities for channel management mentioned were removing sand from pools and planting trees in the River:
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!f they went and cleaned this one (River pool} out now where would they put the material because we wouldn't let them tip it out in the paddock. But where would they get nd of it?. .. !ftheyjust pump it out of that hole and put it jit.rthe~; so it can be washed jit.rther down the River well it's going to fill another hole. I don't know what they'd do. It's one of those man-made problems that's going to take a long time_ well it'll never get fixed It'll never get fixed without as I say transporting it a lo!Z{h long way away from where it is.
If they just pump it out of that hole ... well it's going to fill another hole.
Well what these blokes started to do is plant trees back in the River to stop the flow of the water so fast. That's what's wrecking everything ... we've got to do something .. .I want to plant trees back in it_ to get it back to normaL
.,_, Yenciny -,
Many landholders explained how they had fenced off part or all of the River on their lands. Much of this work had been done years ago:
I haven't used the River for 15 odd years. We fenced it off years ago ... Now they're giving farmers money to put fences up.
I haven't used the River for 15 odd years. We fenced it off years ago ...
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.,....--------------------------------- ------- --
·- :Rejleclions on !he :7fuon -·
Often part of the River was fenced, usually a pool:
Someone else used to (lease our land} and he used to leave sheep just run everywhere and now I have got the pools fenced off
Several people mentioned recently fencing the River using money provided by the Water and Rivers Commission:
We didn't have a fence on the River at all anywhere along our boundary until this last year. We got funds from the Watenuays ... And that's like }the bush} was almost when the settlers first came here which is fairly significant from the River point of view.
Others were in the process of or intending to fence the River:
There is talk of fencing the River off, because it's not all fenced off, usually just one side. And I wouldn't really be against fencing it off because there's more things grow when stock can't get into it It would be a nuisance from the point of view of crossing. You'd have to have a gate across I suppose but it wouldn't be the end of the world to have it fenced off It's also a fire hazard of course so it's dif.ficult to come to a real agreement Nothing's ever simple, there's always two sides to the story.
We get the money and- - - will put it up jthe fencing} I think it's a good idea 'cos I think .. even though .. some of the stock do drink out of it, it's the constant sheep tramping over things that really cause problems .
.. .it's the constant sheep tramping over things that really cause problems.
Some landholders had fenced so that their stock can still access the River water:
I fenced all these trees in so we've got ... actually the whole of that River from there right through and up here and up the bridge, up to our bridge, is all fenced on either szde. Except this pool We haven't fenced this because our sheep drink in there.
~- Jree !Yfanlin!J_...
Most landholders talked of planting trees on their lands and some specifically discussed plantings adjacent to the River. Planting trees on the River flats was mentioned by one landholder as having helped control salinity:
They could have gone salt some of these flats over here ... but we planted all these trees down the River here. There were trees down the Rive~; nowhere near as thick as they are and it's just held it (the salt} all back but down here, this part in here, that bit in there, that could be a threat of salt
Plantings associated with Yenyening Lakes were also noted:
I think it's important where the River and lakes join together from the western extremity, going east particularly on our side, if we can get all of this revegetated we've done our part. And hopejitlly CALM fDepartment of Conservation and Land Management} will come to the party and plant some trees in the lakes, on the reserve itself.
... if we can get all of this revegetated we've done our part.
One landholder described tree planting along the River as part of tree planting and shelter belt planning for the whole farm:
We will do the knolls and outcrops, areas that could never be farmed and we will tum them back really into forest_ which is a safe policy for the River. Were trying to make the River forest 'cos it's not of great value to us economically but it's better for us to have trees and shelter belts. We come from a background where we are very conscious of the effect of shelter belts. We are very lucky that most of the farm has enough trees. We've got 2 or 3 paddocks that haven't got enough trees.
...._ -" -29-
~~ 0iy.hi G=*<~
Gurrenl0nvironmenlaf2/(anayemeni-Yssues Several other issues were mentioned by landholders including the implications for flre safety and management of excluding stock from the Avon, widely differing views regarding the benefits or otherwise of subdivisions, and a perspectives on ownership and rights in relation to the Avon .
...._ Weeds and Jire cSafeiy _.._
Weeds, grazing and flre safety were described as inextricably linked:
We really strongly advocate that it [the Mackie River[ goes on controlled grazing. We don't want to see that River get so overgrown with wild oats and all the rest of it I know in..forty year~ time there'll be enough leaf fall on the ground and all the rest of it and it'll keep it all down, but we cannot afford to have a fire go through there and it nearly did, it could have. There was a fire, sort oj; at the end of where you can see those meanders and if that fire had jumped the road up here and got into our River before we had controlled grazed it it would have just roared down the River and we would not have been able to stop it ... This year for the first time we didn't put any sheep in the River and the wild oats was high as that door. And if that fire had of got in there.
But, you know_ sensible management- I stick sheep down there every year and anyone wants to argue with me they can have a walk over the other side and see where nothing was put three years ago and it [the firej just bloody destroyed everything.
_,_, c'3u{)d;(;isions ~
Without prompting many landholders mentioned concerns regarding or support for subdivisions. The flavour of their views is captured in the following quotes:
First, the view of a landholder concerned about subdivisions:
And that [subdivision} allows people [toj come there and they think "wow_ now I've got my own piece of land» they come and they dump all their junk on it Every time they come up .from Perth they bring a trailer load of something or other .from the backyard and they just dump it there and they don't use the land They don't put sheep on it or if they do, they do until they all get .flyblown and realise that there"S work attached and they soon get rid of that
The potentially damaging environmental effects of subdivisions close to the River were described:
I think when you look at the hobby farmers, YOrk, Northam, Toodyay down when you drive along the River a lot of people have got hobby farms with houses with sewerage. I think the sewerage .from all those houses would have to be a lot worse than sheep .. .It shouldn't be allowed for people to build their houses next to the River.
We'd want to keep people off the River because of the animals, the pollution and the toilets and all
The counter suggestion was made that subdivisions were less environmentally damaging than cropping:
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A lot of people are against putting houses on Rivers. Pm not because I think the land deteriorates more from farming against the River because we've done it and when you're ploughing paddocks year after year you can - when you're harvesting and you have a heavy rainfall for the year there's a lot of that land gets washed off the higher ground into the River and you've got to go up and down the gullies that are too steep to get across with a combine harvester. The next year you go through with a scarifier and plough them all in and you can see the dirt washing in. You see 10 acre blocks, 7 acre blocks that people build a nice home on and they grow trees and you don't see any deterioration. Actually the land's improving. Our neighbour down here's grown trees all over his place on a small hobby farm and it's a really nice looking place. You see an odd one that's really bad. .. And that's all to do with Shire administration. Because they don't put any covenants to control the quality of the buildings.
~,.,_ Ownersfiip _,"
Ownership and what landholders could and couldn't do on their land, especially in relation to grazing stock along and in the River, was of interest to most. Several were concerned that others properly understood landholder's rights in relation to their own lands:
We own the land to the middle of the River and we've got the right to, in spite of what I might tell myself in AR.MA fA von River Management Authority/; I can stzll put sheep in. It's my land. But there's a covenant that they have now for the landowners along the Avon and that is an agreement that you won't And then you jaref going to get a plaque put on your fence saying that you're a good river manager and everybody that owns land along the Avon is going to get one of those.
-<~ ~>-
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GoncfurhngJhouyhfs This project graphically illustrates the complexity of relationships between people living next to the Avon River, and working their land, and the River, its lakes and tributaries. Their photos and comments show strong nostalgic recollections of swimming in its deep pools, picnics with family and friends, children going fishing and the River as a place of tranquillity and respite from farming. Many people commented on the River Training Scheme, mainly how its outcomes had been disastrous for the River and its pools and hence to their enjoyment.
The diversity and complexity of these relationships is epitomised by use of the River for stock grazing and watering, predominantly by sheep. These animals have been grazed and wate:r:ed in the River since European settlement. Today, the diversity of approaches is enormous, including occasional, regular grazing, emergency grazing, grazing to control weeds and associated fire hazards, and no grazing at all with stock permanently excluded. Some people have fenced the River to exclude stock but not necessarily all stock for all of the time. For some, the River is a nuisance because it divides their farm making the movement of stock and machinery difficult. Issues of rights of access were also mentioned. Not only were there very different levels and approaches to stock use and management, people also had very different views about the effects of stock on the River. Some noted a beneficial effect in keeping weeds down while others saw stock as damaging vegetation and soils through trampling.
As well as stock currently using the River, people mentioned recreation, appreciating the River's aesthetic qualities and enjoying nature. Swimming and boating are still part of people's interactions with the River, as well as picnicking, camping and going for walks. The pools continue to be greatly appreciated as focal points for these activities as well as being regarded as attractive in their own right: 'But the pool really makes the farm, I reckon'. As well as enjoying the River from close proximity people liked to look across a landscape with the Avon as an integral and central part. Birds were the feature of nature most often enjoyed - both waterbirds such as ducks and spoonbills and bushbirds like wrens and robins.
The other main use of the River was as a drain for excess water during floods and to move saline water rapidly through the landscape. It was also seen as a drain for other peoples' rubbish, especially silt coming from upstream.
Given the interest in and number of comments about the damaging effects of the River Training Scheme and the River's function as a drain, it is not surprising that people suggested ways of restoring and improving the River. Using dredging or pumping to remove silt from pools was widely advocated, although problems in disposing of the unwanted material were highlighted. Getting trees back into the River channel was also recommended. Tree planting on and adjacent to the banks and on the shores of Yenyening Lakes was also commented on with enthusiasm.
In line with the diversity and divergence of views regarding stock, there were different levels of implementation and commitment to fencing the River. Through
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most discussions, however, a resignation or acceptance that all the River would eventually be fenced was apparent. Whether people wholeheartedly accepted the idea or not, they felt that it would eventually happen and probably sooner rather than later. Some people struggled with "having" to fence the River or exclude stock because of their "ownership" of the River and their confidence in being able to do what they wanted on their own land.
The last area where people's views diverged was regarding subdivisions, specifically those where largish rural holdings are divided into smallholdings of 10 acres or less. Such changing land use is commonplace in the Shires of Northam and York, especially the latter. Some supported such changes while others were opposed, again a diversity of opinion existed.
What are the implications for living with and managing the Avon River that can be drawn from this research? Most obviously, the landholders and their families living on the Avon and working their land are not a homogenous group. Their interactions with the River and views regarding its management are diverse, complicated and steeped in their history of involvement with the River. Their views are also strongly held and expressed. Management ventures such as fencing and/ or stock inclusion are most likely to succeed when they build on existing relationships with and uses of the River. This may involve a continuation of occasional grazing for some interim period or continuing use of pools for stock watering.
The common thread through most ofthese people's lives and their relationships with the River is a tremendous attachment and depth of feeling regarding how the River once was and its associated appeals. The focus of much of this energy and attachment is the River pools. 'Righting the wrongs' of the River Training Scheme provides a common base and shared goal for attending to the needs of the River. As such, focusing on this goal and people's historic attachment seems the most effective way of helping a heterogeneous group of people work together to achieve the sort of River they want.
-<~ ~~
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"~ :Jlchnowfed!Jmenfs G=*<-
Without the involvement, interest and enthusiasm of the following landholders and their famz?ies this research would not have been possible. Their assistance is gratefully acknowledged.
Graeme Barrett-Lennard
Ted Barrett-Lennard
David Bell
Clem Blechynden
David Boyle
Peter Boyle
Tony Boyle
Lance Bushell
Rory Curtin
Trevor Durack
Nige!Fleay
Btl/Hill
Ross MacKenzie
John Masters
Andrew McG!ew
Ron McLean
Trevor McLean
Ashley Morgan
Doug Morgan
George Nelson
Norm Roe
ColinPnce
Trevor Sharman
Bruce Smart
Tony Virgin
John Wilding
Peter Young
Cectly Howell also provided important insights.
This research was supported by a Murdoch University Special Research Grant. The project was ably assisted by Ann Gunness. Others who have made invaluable contributions include Jeff Bash, Gary Burke, Ross Lantzke, Martin Revell, Noella Ross, Alan Rossow, Gerry Tacey and Warren Tacey. Two members of the Avon River Management Authority, Doug Morgan and Liz Manning, kindly commented on the final draft of this book.
--~ ~,._
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