Bradley shares his passion for Bre fish traps
As water levels in the Barwon River drop, Brewarrina’s fish traps are once again clearly visible and attracting visitors traveling outback NSW.
The banks of the Barwon River around Brewarrina’s famous fish traps continue to be a meeting place today, just as the have been in the past.
Bradley Hardy from the Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum leads daily tours of the ancient structures and weaves the stories of the fish traps and the traditions of Aboriginal people along the river.
People from all over the world travel to Bre to see for themselves the unique rock structures, continuing the timeless tradition of the fish traps as a meeting place.
Bradley has a passion for sharing the stories and traditions of his ancestors and said his role now was to keep the culture alive by sharing it and encouraging young people to continue the work of the elders who had the vision to establish the Cultural Museum years.
“When I take people on the tours, I begin with the old times first,” Bradley said. “We start in the Cultural Museum where I show them photos from the 1800s, before the weirs were built and before the paddle steamers arrived.
“I show them different artefacts and explain their purpose and then we go to the river and show them the ochre beds and the fish traps.
“I tell them how important rivers were as gathering places, and that’s what’s so powerful about them, because the rivers still bring people together and we are still meeting there today as we were in the old times.
“The river is our blood, our identity - it was then, and it is now,” he said.
Bradley brings a passion for his culture to his work guiding visitors through the history and meaning of the fish traps and how they allowed fish populations to thrive.
“I talk about how in the ancient times both sides of the river were important - on one side it was a place of peace and sharing, where corroborees and important gatherings were held and on the northern side was the burial ground,” he said.
“Everything our people needed was here.
“I took a tour of river environmentalists and they were just amazed. The fish traps are a rock structure, with a U-shape and a C-shape facing downstream. The fish swim upstream and are caught in these shapes or in circular storage ponds.
“Thirty to forty per cent of the fish were stored in these pools but the rest swam upstream to spawn - and that’s sustainability at the highest level.
“We are now seeing a return of good conditions with millions of tiny fish in the river. The last time we saw that was between 2010 and 2012 so it’s great to see the fish coming back,” he said.
Brad said the legend of the fish traps as some of the oldest man-made structures on the planet is a subject that continues to be debated in the scientific and archaeological communities, but one the old timers dismiss as unimportant.
“A lot of archaeologists and scientists say they are 40,000 to 60,000 years old, or up to 150,000 years old and they each have their own opinion,” Bradley said.
“Our old people teach us that when we’re talking about fish traps being the oldest structures, that that is competitive talk, and we shouldn’t take part in it.
“They have been there for all time and what is so powerful is that they are still a timeless, meeting place for tribes. Over the years we have had people from all parts of the world come here - so that is like the new tribes, people still coming together to share.
“That’s how it was in the beginning and that is the truth now,” he said.
Bradley said he never considered himself a public speaker, but in his role as tour guide, he has talked to thousands of people. He said his role now was to encourage young members of the Bre community to learn about their culture and continue the work of those who established the Aboriginal Cultural Museum.
“I do a lot of talking, it keeps me alive,” he said.
“It’s fun meeting new and different people and to see them just be amazed when I tell them about the old times,” he said.
“I’m not smart or educated, this just what I do, and I have a passion for it.
“I talk about the massacre that happened here, how Bre had one of the first missions set up, and it is our duty is to share these stories, and to pass them on to younger ones.
“I share the story of Les Darcy and his vision to have a museum built up on the banks of the river and Uncle Roy Barker, and Brad Steadman who does a lot of the languages. I feel lucky and privileged to be doing this and sharing these stories.
“The old people did a lot, and our duty now is to work hard, to keep evolving and to keep our history alive,” Bradley said.
To tour the fish traps, the ochre beds, and the Aboriginal Cultural Museum, you can book online. Bradley runs four tours a day from Monday to Friday, at 9.30am, 11am, 1pm and 2.30pm and at 9.30am and 11am on Saturdays.
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