Publication (Media): Researchers interviewing long-time residents about the Narran River and Lakes

Publication Type:	Media Release
Publication Name:	Researchers interviewing long-time residents about the Narran River and Lakes

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Adams, Janey and Milligan, Ann (2004) Researchers interviewing long-time residents about the Narran River and Lakes - Jul 20 2004, CRCFE, Canberra - Media Release.

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20 July 2004

Researchers interviewing long-time residents about the Narran River and Lakes

People who have lived near the Narran River for many years are invited to share their local knowledge with researchers.

Dianne Tyson, Historian at the Back O’Bourke Exhibition Centre, and Janey Adams, Senior Community Scientist at the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre’s Northern Basin Laboratory at Goondiwindi, will be recording the oral history of the Narran River and Lakes by interviewing long-time residents in the Walgett to St. George area from 9 August.

The oral history is part of a larger project to examine the way the birds, fish and plants behave and how the river and lakebeds change when there are varying river flows into the Narran Lakes. The project is being carried out by the Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology and the Murray-Darling Basin Commission.

Janey says, “Local residents have valuable knowledge about the ecology of the river and wetlands. They know how the area used to be and what has changed — and we’d like them to share it with us. The residents we'd like to speak with have depended on this floodplain ecosystem for their livelihoods; have watched the rivers and wetlands throughout wet and dry times; and have family photographs and stories to share. This is an excellent opportunity for community members who have lived around the Narran River and Lakes for many years to provide historical information about natural events. We hope they will tell us about happenings such as flooding, fish spawning, pest invasions, and changes in the appearance of the area over the past fifty or more years.''

The researchers will be making notes and audiotaped recordings of discussions with area residents, which will be later transcribed into book form.

Dianne adds, “We will have the equipment with us to make photocopies of historical farm journal entries concerning the river and floodplains, old family photographs and the like, so we won’t have to borrow any items.”

Information from the interviews will be published as a book and a CD-ROM. All participants will receive a copy of the final work at the conclusion of the project. Residents who are interested in sharing their historical knowledge of the Narran River and Lakes, are asked to please phone Dianne on Tel: 02 6872 1321.

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Media Contact:
Janey Adams
Tel: 07 4671 4650, Mob: 0429 876 458, Email: jadams@northernlab.net.au

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