Koori's Beach, Narrandera, 2023
Photo Jackie Cooper
‘River Country’ was first held at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra on 15 October 2023 as a community day of talks, making, installation, conversations, film screenings and more.
During 2024 and 2025, ‘River Country’ will tour to regional NSW towns where there will be a pop-up exhibition, school workshops, writing workshops, film screenings and walks on Country to inspire care for our natural environments.
River Country Exhibition
Broken Hill City Art Gallery
Wednesday 27 November – Saturday 30 November,
10am – 4pm
Free
Walk beneath river red gums, float with the pelicans or look for platypus in the River Country exhibition. The Broken Hill City Art Gallery will be transformed to evoke the forms, flows and species of the Murray–Darling rivers and wetlands.
Featuring works by artists from across the Murray-Darling river system, the River Country exhibition invites us to reflect on the diverse lives and stories that make up vibrant wetland communities.
More than a Fish Kill Documentary Screening and Q+A
Broken Hill City Art Gallery
Thursday 28 November, 5:30pm - 8pm
Free
Enjoy refreshments from 5:30pm until the event starts at 6pm with a screening of 'More than a Fish Kill'. This inspiring documentary explores how artists, fisheries and First Nations custodians turned ecological disaster into cultural healing. Following is a Q+A with Barbara Quayle, Otis Filley, Kirsten Wehner, Vic McEwan.
School Workshops
Monday 25 – Thursday 28 November
Artist-curator Kirsten Wehner from the National Museum of Australia and Artist-educator Samantha Davies from Petaurus Education Group will provide fun sessions for local students to explore life along rivers and wetlands.
Walk on Country with Wontanella Tours
Menindee Lakes
Saturday 30 November, 9am – 12pm
Free
Stroll around the Menindee Lakes with Barbara Quayle and Dave Doyle who will lead you along paths their ancestors use to walk and share millennia old Barkindji knowledge around bush medicine, food, animals, plants and artefacts.
Make your own way to the site or catch a mini bus from Broken Hill. Departing 7:40am. Returning 1:30pm. Ten seats, for bus bookings email sarah@cadfactory.com.au
Broken Hill Tour, 25–30 November 2024
Narrandera Tour, 24–31 October 2024
River Country Exhibition
Narrandera Arts and Community Centre
Thursday 24 July – Saturday 26 October, 10am – 5pm
Walk beneath river red gums, float with the pelicans or look for platypus in the River Country exhibition. The Narrandera Arts Centre will be transformed to evoke the forms, flows and species of the Murray–Darling rivers and wetlands.
This exhibition is an echo of an ecological community brimming with life and invites us to remember how precious the natural world is.
Featuring works by artists from across the Murray-Darling river system
Walk on Country with Uncle Michael Lyons
Sandhills Artefacts, 16 Bamblett St, Narrandera
Friday 25 October, 10am – 12pm, Free
Join Uncle Michael Lyons for a walk on beautiful Wiradjuri Country around the Sandhills and Koori’s Beach to learn some of the stories and histories of this place.
Invited School Workshops
Narrandera Arts and Community Centre
Thursday 24 October
Artist-curators Kirsten Wehner and Cameron Muir from the National Museum of Australia, along with Artist-educator Samantha Davies from from Petaurus Education Group, will provide fun sessions for local students to explore life along the Murray Darling rivers and wetlands.
Fivebough Wetlands, Leeton
Monday 28 October
Artist-educator Samantha Davies from Petaurus Education Group, along with bird enthusiast Dr Keith Hutton, will lead students on a fun adventure through the wetlands to consider their relationship to the natural world.
Gayini Wetlands, Balranald
Thursday 31 October
Artist-educator Samantha Davies from Petaurus Education Group, along with members of the Nari Nari Tribal Council, NSW Fisheries and Murray-Darling working wetlands group, will lead students on a day exploring traditional culture, water health and animal species in this significant natural environment.
Environmental Writing with Cameron Muir
Narrandera Arts and Community Centre
Thursday 24 October, 6pm – 8pm, Free
Join award-winning author Cameron Muir for a workshop about life along the Murray-Darling. Discuss ideas, explore new techniques and share your stories.
More than a Fish Kill Documentary Screening
Narrandera Fisheries Centre
Buckingbong Rd, Narrandera
Friday 25 October, 7pm – 9:30pm, Free
Bring a camping chair or picnic blanket
Event starts at 7:45pm
Arrive and have a picnic or tour the new fisheries building before the event starts at 7:45pm with performances. We will then screen the ‘More than a Fish Kill’ documentary that explores how artists, fisheries managers and First Nations custodians came together in the aftermath of devastating fish kills along the Barka (Darling River).
Moree Tour, 2025
River Country will tour to Moree and Tamworth in 2025. More details soon.
Tour partners:The Cad Factory, National Museum of Australia, Petaurus Education Group, Menindee Aboriginal Elders Council, James Fairfax Foundation, Department of Regional NSW, Narrandera Fisheries Centre, Create NSW, Sydney Environment Institute, Otis Filley Studios. Local partners: Clontarf Foundation, Narrandera Shire Council, Broken Hill City Art Gallery
