This Place: The story of the Birrarung, the Yarra River

According to ABC News Australia, Jaeden Williams-Briggs, a Boonwurrung man, is sharing the traditional story of the Birrarung—the Yarra River. In Boonwurrung culture, the river was sacred; the Rock Falls was the only crossing point and served as a ceremony site. This crossing held central importance to celebrations of the seven magical sisters, a cultural practice carried down through generations. This week, as NAIDOC Week celebrates fifty years of Deadly—a reclamation of Indigenous Australian identity and culture—stories like this resurface, reminding us of the history and naming that predates European settlement.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton