Memories of the Billabong
and the Health of the River
Birrarung Riverfest 2025 ,
Yarra River Keeper Association
The Birrarung, the river of mists and shadows, runs for 424 km from the foothills of Mount Baw Baw to the mudflats of Port Phillip Bay. The Birrarung is an energetic force, a growing organism, and the lifeblood of all that surrounds it. With colonisation, the lands and waters of the Birrarung have been stolen and gradually altered by the displacement of Traditional Custodians; the filling of billabongs; quarrying of the riverbanks; and the ongoing re-engineering of the river course and flows.
Como Park, once a billabong and important cultural place for the Yalukit-Willam Clan, is now a thriving recreational hub. However, the legacy of the billabong remains in the landscape through its remnant species and increasing riverine flooding events, and Como Park continues as a place of contention.
Through a collective workshop, walk, and visioning session at Como Park, we explored how our urban infrastructure, seasonal flooding, and forgotten wetlands remain part of the Birrarung’s living memory, and how future restoration efforts can support the river’s rights to heal and flow. Participants engaged in deeper discussions and shared aspirations about how we value, treat, and connect with the Birrarung and its Country today.
A special thank you to Ali Soutar for contributing to our storytelling, language as well as representing N'arwee't Carolyn Briggs, Justin Buckley from National Trust Victoria for sharing insights into layered histories of this landscape, Hannah Vrijenhoek for grounding us into our imaginations, and Riverfest and the Yarra River Keeper for making this event possible.