Howe and Deerubbin Parks Audio Walk

11 Stories

Howe and Deerubbin Parks Audio Walk

Listen to stories of Dyarubbin / Hawkesbury River at Balga-Ngurrang / Windsor, and to the original music they have inspired, as you walk along the river.

Our guide for this audio walk is Dharug educator, Rhiannon Wright. We learn about the Dharug people's relationship to the river, their cultivation of yams, the Dreaming story of Gurangady, and nearby rock engravings. We learn that Windsor was once a bustling river port town and hear stories of boat building and devastating flooding. We hear about Andrew Thompson (a convict turned chief constable and wealthy businessman) and his role in frontier violence, stolen Aboriginal children, John Howe (early settler and explorer) and his connection with Mioram (an Aboriginal guide), and the murder of Aboriginal boys on Argyle Reach. We also explore riverbank ecology, bush regeneration, the protests surrounding the replacement of Windsor Bridge, and the beautiful mathematics of rivers.

To listen now, play the video at the bottom of the page.

child on river Photo by Lyndal Irons
river Photo by Oonagh Sherrard
Oonagh Photo by Amber Sherrard
painting detail Wiyanga Badu (detail) by Leanne Mulgo Watson

Directions

Starting point: Hawkesbury Regional Museum, Baker Street, Windsor NSW
Walk locations:  Howe Park and Deerubbin Park, Windsor NSW

  1. Starting at the back of the Museum, walk across Thompson Square.
  2. From the balga (the hill) on Thompson Square, walk down to the wharf via the viewing platform.
  3. Walk upstream along the river, following the path through Howe Park to the bridge over Rickaby’s Creek.
  4. Continue into Deerubbin Park and follow the walking path to its end before returning to the Museum.

Distance: approximately 1 kilometre one way, or 1.7 kilometres return. Duration: 60 minutes.

Click on the map to enlarge it, or download a printable version here.

image

Credits

Narrated by:

  • Rhiannon Wright, Dharug educator
  • Narrative written by Oonagh Sherrard, with oversight from Dharug knowledge-holders, Jasmine Seymour and Rhiannon Wright, and historian, Jan Barkley-Jack

Stories told (in order of appearance) by:

  • Erin Wilkins, Dharug educator
  • Leanne Mulgo Watson, Dharug artist
  • Jasmine Seymour, Dharug artist, writer and educator
  • Students (years 5 & 6), Windsor Public School, 2019
  • The late Ted Books, Hawkesbury local, former Hawkesbury Councillor and descendant of John Grono
  • Kate Mackaness, Community Action for Windsor Bridge
  • Grace Karskens, Emeritus Professor of History , UNSW and author of 'People of the River'
  • Martin Gauci, Community Bushcare Officer, Hawkesbury City Council
  • Tom Hubble, Associate Professor of Geology, University of Sydney
  • Jen Dollin, Head of Sustainability Education, Western Sydney University
  • Sharon Lamb, Hawkesbury local and descendant of Henry Kable
  • Sue Cusbert, Technical Officer, Western Sydney University
  • Ron Males, Hawkesbury local
  • Jan Barkley-Jack, historian and author of 'Hawkesbury Settlement Revealed'
  • Students, Windsor South Public School Dharug language class, 2021
  • Bruce Gardiner, Cornwallis farmer (from an archival interview recorded in 1984 for the 'On the Record Project', courtesy of Hawkesbury Voices, Hawkesbury Library Service)
  • Kirstie Fryirs, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University

Readings by Ian Moxon, from:

Music:

  • Composed by Oonagh Sherrard, with Dharug songs by Jasmine Seymour and Stacy Jane Etal
  • Musicians: Dimitri Vouros, clarinet; Gary Daley, piano accordion; Jess Ciampa, percussion; Jasmine Seymour and Stacy Jane Etal, vocal; Oonagh Sherrard, guitar, cello, piano, programming
  • Recorded by Oonagh Sherrard at Wheeny Creek Studios, Andrei Shabunov at ABC Ultimo, and Craig Field at Underwood Studios

Page ID: 223358

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