Beautiful waterways...and stinky sewers!

With more than 430 rivers and thousands of creeks, streams and wetlands, the state of NSW is connected by water. Today we know that we must keep our beautiful waterways clean: we need them to survive, for recreation and for their cultural significance.

However, this hasn’t always been so widely understood.

Soon after the First Fleet landed in 1788 at what became known as Sydney Cove, the freshwater stream they relied on, and called the Tank Stream, became polluted. As the colony grew, sewerage and industrial waste poured into Sydney Harbour – in some parts it was so bad ships could apparently no longer safely anchor!

As the colony expanded, explorers and settlers used rivers to navigate the environment and sometimes documented evidence of important Aboriginal cultural sites. But there was much they missed – like the ancient creation stories that still shape the significance of those landscapes today.

Starting small, with the catchment of the Tank Stream (so vital for the First Fleet), we will flow out across the state, combining history, geography and science to develop your students’ knowledge and understanding of the history of NSW through water.

During this awesome Live Event, students will:

• investigate the First Fleet’s freshwater source – by going into the Tank Stream under the City of Sydney!
• visit the Murrumbidgee River to learn about its ancient creation story
• use art, archaeology and maps to investigate how the expanding colony impacted the environment
• meet the team at the Museum of the Riverina and learn some tips and tricks to keep waterways beautiful
• access a new learning resource to help conduct their own waterway investigation

This Live Event is for stages 1–3 and will address:

• The Past in the Present – What aspects, or remains, of the past can you see today, and why are they important?
• First Contacts – What was the nature and consequence of contact, stories of the First Fleet, and everyday life in the early colony?
• The Australian Colonies – How did the colony of NSW develop and how did it impact the environment?