“Traditionally, the Macalister River is a very important river to the Gunaikurnai people. It is a pathway that connects from the Alps to the heart of Gippsland. It is a pathway to ceremonial grounds and a known, special men’s place to Elders. Its traditional name is Wirn wirndook Yeerung, which translates to ‘song of the male fairy wren’.
“Yeerung is the men’s totem. This river has many cultural resources and extensive important sites along the whole system.”
The Gunaikurnai have had a continued connection to Gunaikurnai Country for over 27,000 years, including with the waterways in the Latrobe system (into which Wirn wirndook Yeerung [Macalister River] feeds). For the Gunaikurnai as Traditional Owners, there are immense challenges to heal, protect and manage Country, which has been drastically altered since colonisation. The Gunaikurnai see all of Country as interconnected with only separation between clan groups, not cultural landscapes of land, waterways, coasts, oceans and natural and cultural resources. The cultural landscape is dependent on culture and Aboriginal management.
The Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) is working with the West Gippsland CMA to determine how to express Gunaikurnai objectives for water in a way that contributes to seasonal watering proposals from the perspective of traditional custodians, with traditional knowledge.
GLaWAC expressed that more water needs to go down Wirn wirndook Yeerung (Macalister River) between Lake Glenmaggie and Lake Wellington, to improve water quality, including the threat of salinity, and to support plants and animals with cultural values and uses.
The timing of watering events has also been raised by GLaWAC. This includes providing increased water depth to promote downstream fish migration and spawning, deeper water pools to prevent water-quality degradation, and more variation in water levels to better mimic natural conditions.
Traditionally the landscape – which includes Wirn wirndook Yeerung (Macalister River), anabranches and associated floodplains – has been a rich source of food, medicine and resources for the Gunaikurnai people. In the area, there are many sites of cultural significance near the river and around Lake Glenmaggie. The Gunaikurnai have moved through the landscape along the waterways for thousands of years, sourcing food and plants along the way.
From the perspective of the Gunaikurnai, the land and waterways flowing to the Gippsland Lakes are interconnected and cannot be considered separately where decisions made can impact downstream. The lower Latrobe wetlands and the rivers that feed them, including Wirn wirndook Yeerung (Macalister River), have important cultural significance to the Gunaikurnai.
Watering requirements to support cultural values and uses include:
- timing the delivery of water for the environment planned in partnership with GLaWAC to support a seasonal flow regime and wet and dry periods that embody healthy Country
- maintaining freshwater supply to the Latrobe River estuary, Dowd Morass, Sale Common and Heart Morass, and associated freshwater habitats. The lower Latrobe wetlands are an important resource for the Gunaikurnai
- providing connectivity between reaches and onto floodplains to support dependent plants and animals with cultural values and uses of significance to the Gunaikurnai
- maintaining water quality to support the health of native plants and animals with cultural values and uses of significance to the Gunaikurnai.
West Gippsland CMA engaged with the GLaWAC Cultural Water Team about watering priorities for 2022-23.