National Museum of Australia

Pump sheds, Kerri (Goolwa)

Pump sheds on edge of Lake Alexandrina

Pump sheds like this are found at many places around the Lake. The Angas Bremer Water Management Committee (ABWMC) are an extremely pro active group who have drafted water management policies and best practice management guidelines that are designed to manage the risks they have identified, namely reduced river flows, increasing lake water salinity levels, and the potential for rising water tables. Rare native fish are found in these channels because the pumps provide 'environmental flows' and the right conditions for survival.

Lake edge, Kerri (Goolwa)

Photo of Lignum and samphires vegetation

Fringing vegetation

Lignum and samphires are the native vegetation of much of the shoreline of the lakes. They provide excellent habitat and can tolerate a wide variation in conditions.

Goolwa Barrage, Cassie (Goolwa)

A historical photo of men working on the Goolwa Barrage in the 1920's

Men working on the Goolwa Barrage c1920's

Val's husband worked on the barrages around the Goolwa District before WWII. He was one of the lucky ones that returned home unharmed. Before the barrages were built, there used to be heaps of mulloway around. Trading at the Goolwa Wharf came to an end not long after the end of the war. Val remembers a row of small huts along the road near the Goolwa Barrage which were accommodation for married barrage workers only. These huts had names such as Hot as Zell; Windy as Zell, Sandy as Zell and so on. By the late 1970's only one of these huts remained but today there is no sign that they even existed.

Goolwa Ferry, Cassie (Goolwa)

Last trip on Ferry to Hindmarsh Island

Goolwa is the last town along the Murray River and is the gateway to the Coorong, one of the wonders of the world. The Heritage Club, an innovative day centre which was to coordinate necessary services and programs for aged persons, enabling them to remain in their homes as long as possible with a good quality of life, commenced in February 1984. The Club was officially renamed The Alexandrina Centre For Positive Ageing in June 2003 and in October 2004 it celebrated 20 years with the launch of a book, A People's Place - The First Twenty Years. Val, Margaret, Ron and John are involved in various programs at the Centre and all have chosen to reside in the Riverport Town of Goolwa. For these four people, Goolwa provides for all their needs and wants and they can't imagine living anywhere else. Being members of the Centre ensures their social, health and paramedical needs are met and that they are valued members of their local community.

Margaret's shack, Cassie (Goolwa)

Photo of two people with a canoe and a shack by the water

The shack from the water

Having to board a ferry to get to their shack was so much a part of the holiday excitement but now there is a bridge they feel it has taken the excitement out of visiting the Island. During their holidays at the shack Ossie would put a net out at night so they would have fresh fish for the next day. Their daughter, Jan, assisted her father in this exciting ritual and they would 'run' it in the morning and collect the fish. Margaret and Ossie's grandchildren were fortunate enough also to experience these magic moments. Boating and fishing were high priorities during their holidays.

Lakes & Coorong Cockling, David (Goolwa)

Lakes & Coorong Cocklers working in the Southern Ocean.

Fishery Information
The original 3,000 Aboriginal residents of the Coorong region traditionally fished the rich marine, estuarine and freshwater resources of this highly productive ecosystem. Commercial fishing by white settlers is documented from as early as 1846, and soon developed into a significant supply of fish to the Adelaide Markets. A limited entry fishery with currently 37 licensed family businesses, it continues the conservative resource management tradition which has seen the fishery prosper through 151 years.

The diversity of species mirrors the diversity of habitat available to the fishery including the freshwater lakes Alexandrina and Albert, the estuarine/marine/hyper saline Coorong, and coastal waters extending out to three nautical miles from Goolwa Beach. The dominant commercial species of the fishery currently are yellow-eye mullet, mulloway, cockles, callop (golden perch), carp and to a lesser extent flounder and bony bream.

Fishing methods utilise low mechanisation coupled with highly energy efficient netting and manual harvest types. This results in low by-catch, highly specific methods when undertaken by the well-trained operators. Significant effort reduction has taken place over the past 20 years to make up for gear developments. The Fishery directly employs 73 people and indirectly up to 50 more. It produced a GVP in 2002/03 of over $5m, which contributes greatly to the regional economy.

Water