How Does the Koorie Heritage Trust Illustrate the Experience of Indigenous People in Australia - Assignment Example

How does the Koorie Heritage Trust Illustrate the Experience of Indigenous People in Australia? Introduction The late twentieth century was marked with numerous museum constructions across Australia. The museums have experienced numerous upgrades and operational developments since then. Besides the museums, there are other numerous sites that depict the history of Australia in many ways. The Koorie Heritage Trust Riverwalk grabbed my attention where the cultural elements found in the site are rich with components of the Australian heritage. The river walk was managed by the Koorie Heritage Trust, and aboriginal managed and owned not for profit organization. The trust aims at the construction of a place where people can come and interact with the aboriginal history and culture with respect and appreciation. The essay explains the details of the Riverwalk, the ways in which the site came into existence, and the different ways in which the Koorie Heritage Trust Riverwalk explains the experience and life of the indigenous Australian inhabitants. Description of the Site The Riverwalk revealed of various sites such as the Enterprize Park. The walk was along the river where there was an additional waterfall. The waterfall was shallow and located near the Queens Bridge. According to our tour guide, the waterfall separated the salty river water that flowed downstream from the water above it that is fresh. It was also used as a natural bridge by the natives who used the stones along the area as stepping stones to cross the river. It is an actual Riverwalk as we walked along the Yarra River as we learned about the native culture of the Aboriginals. The Riverwalk is marked by signs of early settlement structure remains and landmarks. The walk involved several stops to take note of the various significant aboriginal sites. However, some of the sites were under the large 21st century buildings and all we got of the history of the area was the narration of what used to be[ CITATION Vis17 \l 1033 ]. The walk further downstream reveals the muddy-looking river. However, it remains one of the cleanest rivers in Melbourne. There were cleanup campaigns in the 1970s that led to the cleanup of the river. The river is now almost back to the way it was during the settlement of the Aboriginals. The dense presence of platypus and numerous migratory fish shows its favorability to flora and fauna. The Aboriginals must have had special ways to cope with the occasional flooding because it is for that reason that Melbourne was constructed on the higher areas of the banks of the River Yarra. The course of the river was also changed for the purposes of flood alleviation in the area. The river walk offered an alternate experience where we learned saw the Aboriginal and early settlement areas in Melbourne, Australia. The walk started at the Enterprize Park, the area that is considered as the Botany ay of Melbourne. Although the park is a mark of the first permanent settlement of the colonist Europeans, the natives used it as a meeting point. Otherwise, it was left alone as a place where the waterfalls and the wildlife existed peacefully. There was evidence of settlement along the riverbanks in the form of landmarks and significant sites along the Yarra River. The site gives the native way of life before the settlement of the Europeans on a first-hand experience basis[ CITATION Cat17 \l 1033 ]. A Natural History at the Yarra The visit included detailed descriptions of the site and the historical element of the Yarra River. We learned that Melbourne is built on the area of the settlement of the early Kurin people. The making of the area into Melbourne did not permanently displace the Aboriginal inhabitants and the river as they are still found there. The Aboriginal people were forced to adapt into the developments of the 21st century upon the early development signs of Melbourne and Victoria. The Yarra River Waters flow from the Gippsland Region in the West of Victoria. The origin is Mt. Baw Baw, specifically the Pristine Flanks. Looking at the water today, it is muddy because of the erosion caused by the river flow. However, the waters were clear during the time of the European Settlement, which is affected by the numerous activities of land clearing. The Yarra River has a special place in early European History from the early settlement to the final settlement by the Europeans. The Yarra River was originally known as the Birrarung, a name given by the Wurundjeri people, the original inhabitants of Australia. The name Birrarung meant “River of Mists and Shadows,”[ CITATION Yar17 \l 1033 ]. The original inhabitants settled along the banks of the river where they built settlement structures. The main settlement area was the place near the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Government House. The activities of the Wurundjeri people were simple and they involved fishing for food. It was some time in the nineteenth century that the early European settlers gained interest in the area around the river. Charles Grimes, especially appreciated the nature of the river Yarra as he held the position of Surveyor General in South Wales. As for the Aborigines, the Yarra River was a source of life around which they lived for 30, 000 years. The Wurundjeri tribe was a part of the Kulin Nation who believed that the spirit, Bunjil, etched the Yarra into the landscape during creation[ CITATION Mel17 \l 1033 ]. The Yarra River was the reason for the inspiration behind the construction of settlements and the growth of Melbourne. He called it the Fresh water River and considered the area the most favorable area for settlement. The name “Yarra” is attributed to another surveyor, John Wedge, a surveyor and explorer. The name Yarra came as a result of his question to the locals about the name of the river where they replied, “Yarro Yarro” (it flows). The miscommunication caused him to believe that was the name of the river. During the early years, the Yarra River saw ships travel upstream where they could reach the Queensbridge Street without any trouble. It was at that point that there existed cascades of water and rock barriers from moving any further. Although now long gone, the waterfalls served an important function where they separated the salty water found at the bay from the fresh water found in the river. It is from that fresh water that the aboriginals fished, and the same water they used for drinking, bathing, and other household activities. The east side of the Melbourne Aquarium as it is today consists of the Turning Basin and the Enterprize Park. During the early settlement, the area was used as a turning point for ships. For that reason, the earlier settlements were clustered around the region because of the possibility of the success of the involvement in various commercial activities. The area between St. Kilda and Williamstown was a delta. It was, therefore, mostly swampy. Therefore, there was a preference of the Northern Banks that were in higher land. The area then became an overnight city made of tents at the time of the Victorian Gold Rush when many people descended to Melbourne. The Gold Rush came about after the discovery of gold along the banks of the Yarra River. The Victoria Fields turned into a gold mine site. The wealth obtained through the trade of gold is the reason why Melbourne is one of the cities with the finest buildings in Victoria. The waterfall is no longer in existence and the swampy area between St. Kilda and Williamstown long dried up. However, they explain the lives of the indigenous people and the reasons behind their way of life. For instance, flooding along the Yarra was a common phenomenon. The dispossession of the land around the Yarra River by the Wurundjeri was experienced through displacement and disconnection. The early explorers claimed to having purchased the land after which activities to transform it into a more ‘appropriate’ settlement begun. The bushes around the area were cleared to pave way for the roads. There were other activities such as the draining of the wetlands such as the draining of the swampy delta area. It even progressed to the point of the diversion of the course of the Yarra River. The changes involved the disruption of sites that the natives considered sacred, activities that had negative impact on their physiological and psychological wellbeing. They also initially expressed a spiritual connection to the land which was taken away upon the establishment of the various development activities[ CITATION Wur13 \l 1033 ]. According to personal research evidence, the European settlement had begun long before the development activities for the construction of Melbourne. They lived and worked along the Victorian coastline. The immigration of the European settlers into the area was not approved by the British law. However, the pastoral land was too good to resist and they Europeans moved n anyway. It was then that the British government agreed that it could not control the settlement. The area off settlement came to be known as Melbourne. The increase in the number of settlers and the establishment of their own economic activities gave them a greater grip on the land. The rapid population pushed the aboriginal people further and made their survival more difficult from their activities. Such included their hunting activities for sport, thus, reducing the number of animals available for the aboriginals for food. In addition to that, their domestic animals cleared the vegetation that the aboriginals previously depended on for survival[ CITATION Ass17 \l 1033 ]. As hunters and gatherers, the new settlement made the survival of the aboriginals difficult. They were forced to merge with the European population because there food was available. As a result, Melbourne grew and maintained a strong aboriginal presence that is found in the area up to today. The Yarra is attributed to the development of Melbourne as a city in the state of Victoria. At present, Melbourne is built along the Yarra River. The river is the main source of water of the households in Melbourne. That is because it feeds nine of the major reservoirs of the city that provide the residents of Melbourne with drinking water. That explains the preference of the indigenous people of the Yarra along the river banks. The fresh water and water life sustained their life of hunting and gathering. Without having to travel for long distances to look for water, the Yarra River was evidently the most suitable area of settlement. The tour involved walks along modern constructions. It was a bit confusing at first but the guide explained the relevance of some of the modern buildings. A number of them were built on the ancient settlement structures of the Aboriginal groups along the river. Such explains the life of the aboriginals along the river, their simple life, and the impact of their interaction with the Europeans. The lack of the complete Aboriginal structures explains the take-over that occurred upon the settlement of the Europeans. It also explains the possible disregard of the Aboriginals by the early European Settlers. However, the settlement did not include the complete displacement or the maltreatment of the Aboriginals because many of them still live around the area. In conclusion, the Yarra River located on the East-Central Victoria is an essential element of Victoria. It is because of the river that Melbourne, one of the largest cities in Australia, is in existence. The river also holds a sentimental aspect of the history of Australia because it accommodated some of the Aboriginal Australian settlers. The area along the river is considered a cultural heritage as a result of its various reminders and landmarks of the life of the Aboriginals. The cultural landmarks are diverse and the narrations that accompany the tour give a deeper understanding of the ancient history of Australia. References CITATION Vis17 \l 1033 : , (Visit Victoria, 2017), CITATION Cat17 \l 1033 : , (Catholic Education, 2017), CITATION Yar17 \l 1033 : , (Yarra River Business Association Inc., 2017), CITATION Mel17 \l 1033 : , (Melbourne Water, 2017), CITATION Wur13 \l 1033 : , (Wurundjeri Elder, Colin Hunter Jr, 2013), CITATION Ass17 \l 1033 : , (Assemblo the creative agency, 2017), Read More