Yarrowee River History: From Peel to Prest

CeRDI has been working with Federation University historian Dr David Waldron on a web portal to map key points of cultural and historical interest along the Yarrowee River. The project, "Yarrowee River History: Peel to Prest", offers a comprehensive exploration of the historical and cultural significance associated with the Yarrowee River, encompassing the influences of the Wadawurrung Indigenous people and subsequent settlement.
 

Background

The project was funded by the City of Ballarat and the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub. It focuses on enhancing the environmental quality, local habitat, and overall enjoyment for residents and trail users. It supports opportunities for the telling the multifaceted and diverse histories along the linear stretch of the river, from Ballarat’s CBD to the beginning of the unchanneled river course.
 

Outcomes

A centrepiece of the project is the development of a portal which incorporates content and historical material linked to the river’s transformation during the gold rush of the 1850s. Gold discoveries were located around the Yarrowee River and its tributaries. During this time, substantial redirection of water channels occurred, aligned with the management of natural drainage for the river. This served multiple purposes, including directing water flow to the gold diggings, removing sludge build up and eventually assisting with mitigating the impact of floods across Ballarat as buildings were constructed following on from its tent city origins.  CeRDI developed the technical specifications and designed the web portal for the project.
 

Yarrowee River History: From Peel to Prest web portal

Integral to the project’s success has been the incorporation of first nation’s history. The portal includes statements and content supplied by the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) and highlights the connection of the Yarrowee River and its place of significance for First Nations People. The content was guided in its development by the Caring for Country subcommittee of WTOAC.

In commenting on the project, Dr David Waldron said that working with traditional owners enabled indigenous history to be the focus of the project and for their story to be highlighted through the portal. 

We wanted people using the interactive map to ponder the cultural significance of these gold rush impacts on the Wadawurrung people and the environment. For the Wadawurrung people, the watercourse, now known as the Yarrowee River, carries profound historical meaning. Recognition of the role of the Yarrowee River for traditional owners was essential to recognise and highlight in this project.” 
 

The involvement of traditional owners to inform the content for the portal was considered to be essential.
 

Future Directions

Future plans include looking at co-developing peer-reviewed publications with the WTOAC on topics related to waterways and their cultural significance in Wadawurrung Heritage. Dr David Waldron is also planning to develop publications on the social history of bluestone construction and further explore the masons' marks used in the construction of bluestone work in the channels. The web portal will provide the foundation for the inclusion of further mapping and sites of interest, expanding our understanding of the river system and its unique role in Ballarat’s history.