The City, the River and the Museum: Ways of Knowing the Parramatta/Burramatta River

Abstract

Parramatta is the furthest navigable point inland on the Parramatta River, and also the point at which the river becomes freshwater. Aboriginal people once fished from bark canoes on the river, and the river continues to be a place of Aboriginal cultural significance. The river was also an important transport corridor between Sydney and Parramatta, and most of the Parramatta River was once swimmable. By the 1950s, however, a lack of regulation and rapid industrial development caused substantial pollution and degradation of the water quality. Today, there are growing calls and initiatives to restore Parramatta River's significance as the green heart of the city. The arrival of the Powerhouse Parramatta – scheduled to open in 2025 – is a catalyst for this development. This publication is the result of a symposium held at Western Sydney University in November 2023 which brought together researchers, scientists, policy makers, artists, activists, community members and museum workers to focus on different aspects of the Parramatta River as a central feature of Parramatta's growing role as the Central River City in Greater Sydney