Dights Falls is located on the Birrarung (Yarra River) in Abbotsford, about 4kms east of Melbourne’s CBD. Once a natural river crossing and meeting place for the Wurundjeri Woi-Worrung, it is now the site of a manmade weir that was first built during British settlement to divert water to a local flour mill. This structure had a devastating impact on the ecosystem, blocking the migration of fish and eel species and diminishing food sources for local Aboriginal communities.
In recent times a fishway has been re-built to allow the native fish species to travel upstream during migration. This presents an excellent opportunity for students to investigate the impact of manmade developments on the natural environment in the context of life before colonisation, life after colonisation and the present-future context.
For students, a visit to Dights Falls is an opportunity to:
- Deepen their knowledge of indigenous perspectives in relation to the culture and history of their own local area.
- Observe and contexualise a range of natural features including flora, fauna, the river and the unique rock formation in the cliff behind Dights Falls.
- Explore the impact of colonial infrastructure on natural ecosystems (and the people who relied on them).
- Begin a deeper inquiry into the design and effectiveness of regeneration/sustainability projects in their local area, such as the fishway.