We camped at Bourke for a spell to travel back in time to ancient lands and customs - I love this area .... too! Stretching for around half a kilometre along the bed of the Barwon River 90 odd Km E from Bourke, are the Brewarrina Fish Traps. An elaborate network of rock channels and pools, these fish traps were built by ancient tribes to capture and store fish as they swam upstream to spawn. Estimated by archeologists to be over 40,000 years old, these clever rock configurations are believed to be one of the oldest man-made structures on Earth. Not only were they essential as a food collection point, they provided a gathering place for many tribes and nations for trade, cultural exchange and ceremony. According to our generous guide, a Ngemba man, the Fish Traps have become a symbol of unity among the eight regional aboriginal tribes.
Flat stretches of the river bank were once the site of corroborees and ochre for ceremonial decoration came from the river bank downstream a wee way. This mixed with crushed mica for glitter must have looked rather spectacular!
If you get to Brewarrina, the Aboriginal Cultural museum is worth a visit. More on the Ngemba people next .....
An historic lift span bridge, one of 4 built in the 1880-90s on the Barwon-Darling - here, Nth Bourke, Wilcannia and Wentworth.
This is the Barwon River which together with the Culgoa River is the head of the Darling. Reason it’s got water is a weir not far downstream
This pic of the fish traps was taken in the 1890s. In the foreground are a couple of guys picking up fish from one of the collecting pools!
Sadly there was no water around the fish traps when we were there.
Ochre banks
A sad river at the moment. Who said cotton???!!
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