Echuca

Fabricated myths and politics are causing the mismanagement of water in the Murray-Darling Basin

25 June 2022 / 4 Comments

“It doesn’t matter what is true, it only matters what people believe is true.“[1]

Before I started our travels, I recall hearing and reading stories about the parlous state of the Murray River and its basin. These calls are always louder when there is a drought.[2]  On our trip, I have spent a lot of time on the Murray, the Lachlan and Edward Rivers, as well as in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation area.… Read more

The 1886 embezzlement scandal, and the disappearance of Robert Alston Murray

25 June 2022 / 5 Comments

The story below is peripheral to the main themes in ‘Fires, Farms and Forests’ and is not covered in the book. However, I want to share with you this remarkable incident that occurred in 1886.

James William Norton Smith features prominently in my book, particularly in Chapters 2-6. He was born in England in 1846, and after receiving an education in agriculture, he managed a sheep farm in New Zealand.

… Read more