Forgotten River: An Outback Tragedy
Snaking its way through 1500 kilometres of outback, the Darling
River is a national icon: a ribbon of life in a treeless desert and a
critical artery in the vast river system of the Murray-Darling Basin.
To
the Barkindji people of far western New South Wales, the river channel
marks the course of the Naatji - the rainbow serpent. It has sustained
cultures and communities for thousands of years.
Today,
more than 3 million Australians rely on water from the Murray-Darling
Basin. So do 40 per cent of all Australian farms, producing $24 billion
worth of food and fibre every year. But the Darling River - a
storied waterway once plied by paddle steamers carrying wool from the
vast sheep stations that lined its banks - is in danger, and the people
living and working along its course face an uncertain future.
Photographer Dion Georgopoulos was tasked with creating a series of videos that introduce audiences to places, and people, along the darling river. Along side him where his colleagues feature writer and drone pilot John Hanscome, who brought the stories to life with his aerial footage. As well as podcaster Tom Melville, whose research, and contacts brought us to key players in the Darling River debate.
Farmer Rachel Strachen invites us to her home of Tulney point, NSW, and shares her passion for the Darling River
It appears like a mirage, some cruel trick of the light. Water as far as the eye can see. At first sight, brimming Menindee Lake arrests the senses. Shock is followed by awe.
Brendan Cullen of Kars Station, speaks of his battle with mental illness and how his diagnosis of depression was the ticket to begin recovery.
