Pitt Town Lagoon Audio Walk

11 Stories

Pitt Town Lagoon Audio Walk

Listen to stories of Dyarubbin / Hawkesbury River at Pitt Town Lagoon, and to the original music they have inspired, as you walk through Pitt Town Nature Reserve.

Pitt Town Lagoon was one of many lagoons once found along Dyarubbin’s floodplain. With colonisation, most of these have since been drained and filled in. Pitt Town Lagoon is now at the heart of Pitt Town Nature Reserve, protected by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service due to its importance to migratory birds.

Our guides for this audio walk are Dharug educator, Rhiannon Wright and Dharug student, Lyra as we learn about the formation of lagoons and their importance to Dharug people. Bardenarang Creek, which connects the lagoon to the river, is one of the only waterways on Dyarubbin that retains its original name. It was here that the first meeting between Governor Phillip and Dharug leaders took place in 1789. It is also where, four years later, colonisers moved in along the river – with the lagoon in the background behind them. Among these early settlers were boat builder John Grono, and Reverand John McGarvie who in 1829 recorded a list of Aboriginal place names along the river.

We hear of the Pitt Town Common, Kurringy (leader of the Caddie Creek clan), the Pitt Town punt, floods, swimming, and water skiing. As we listen to this diverse range of stories, we also watch for water birds.

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

Lagoon Photo by Oonagh Sherrard
Migratory birds Photo by Oonagh Sherrard
Pitt Town punt Pitt Town punt. Courtesy Hawkesbury Library Service

Directions

Walk location: Pitt Town Nature Reserve, Church St, Pitt Town Bottoms NSW

  1. Starting at the Pitt Town Nature Reserve entrance at the end of Church Street, head back up the hill to the grassy edge of Church Street and look out over the lagoon.
  2. Walk down through the Reserve entrance to the bridge over Bardenarang Creek.
  3. Make your way into the bird hide to look out over the lagoon.
  4. Sit a while outside the bird hide, then head back to the Reserve entrance.

Distance: Approximately 700 metres 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
  • Lyra, Dharug student

Stories told (in order of appearance) by:

  • Grace Karskens, Emeritus Professor of History, UNSW and author of 'People of the River'
  • Leanne Mulgo Watson, Dharug artist
  • Dr Michelle Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Science, Western Sydney University and Hawkesbury Nepean Waterkeeper
  • Kirstie Fryirs, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University
  • Jan Barkley-Jack, historian, author of 'Hawkesbury Settlement Revealed' and President, Hawkesbury Historical Society
  • Mark Fuller, environmental educator, owner of 'Avianation' and member of Cumberland Bird Observers Club
  • Erin Wilkins, Dharug educator
  • The late Ted Brooks, former Hawkesbury City Councillor and descendant of Captain John Grono
  • Ted Brill, former Principal, Ebenezer Public School and Senior Vice President, Hawkesbury Historical Society
  • John Grono, descendant of Captain John Grono
  • Jasmine Seymour, Dharug artist, writer and educator
  • Jen Dollin, Head of Sustainability Education, Western Sydney University
  • Tamara Maisema, descendant of Dharug orchardists at Pitt Town
  • Fred Smith, Bushell's Lagoon farmer (from an archival interview recorded in 1992 by Sue Rosen, historian and author of 'Losing Ground: An environmental history of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment')
  • Darron Blanch, Hawkesbury local and water-skier

Readings by Ian Moxon, from:

  • Tench, W. (1793). A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson. Sold by G. Nicol, Pall-Mall & J. Sewel, Cornhill.
  • McGarvie, J. (1827). Diary entry for 11 Feb 1827. In Grace Karskens (2020), People of the River (p. 308).  Allen & Unwin.
  • Sydney Gazette. (1829, March 17).
  • Sydney Gazette. (1829, March 28).
  • McGarvie, J. Notebook entry, p.13-14. In Grace Karskens (2020), People of the River (p. 214).  Allen & Unwin.
  • Sydney Gazette. (1818, September 1).

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

Page ID: 241793

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