The Barmah State Park and State Forest comprises the largest red gum forest in Victoria. Formed in a quirk of geological lift, the forest was first enjoyed by the Kooris who led a prosperous existence until it was traversed by explorer Charles Sturt and invaded by squatters with cattle and sheep, fishermen after the native fish and leeches, and timbermen after the mighty red gum. Paddle-steamers and barges swept along the river after it was charted and snagged. The area around was cleared when the selectors took up land for farms. They too grazed their animals in the forest over the next century and the Barmah muster each autumn is one of the tourist attractions of the area. The forest has also given a living to shooters and charcoal burners. Its wetlands attract a vast and varied birdlife enjoyed by the many campers and holiday-seekers who swim and relax on the banks of the Murray. This book is a collection of writings about the Barmah area and of illustrations made by some of its residents and visitors over the years.

CONTENTS:
In the beginning: creation of the Barmah, Sturt’s exploration, the Koori life, the Murray reed, bark canoes p6. The arrival of the squatters: charting the river, wool-barges, Koori fishermen and the Murray Fishing Company p16. Upper Moira Station p22. Yielima Station p23. Timber: red gum, milling, axemen and sleeper-cutters, hauling the timber, timber barges, restoration of Evans Sawmill p38. People: Madowla Park, the Barmah Common, floods, the Aboriginal Guardian, Cummeragunga, the Koori walk-out, Barmah township, the Rev. Gladstone, a trip up the river, picnicking at the Lakes p78. Maloga Mission Station p94. Cummeragunga p95. Forest industries: water rats, punt guns, drought, leeches, the Murray cod, egrets, ibis, mustering, charcoal burning, wartime fire-wood, Conway’s memories, yabby-farming, Tisdall’s winery, the Dharnya Centre, the border, the ecology p111. Index p143. Acknowledgements p144.

ILLUSTRATIONS (selected):
Map of squatting runs about 1850 p19. The Murray Fishing Company’s offices in Echuca p33. Large red gum tree trunks p36-39. Remains of the A2 steam locomotive boiler which drove the Evans Sawmill p40. Evans Sawmill, Echuca p42. McBurnie’s Mill at the Bunyip Waterhole p43. Horse and bullock teams outside Evans Sawmill p44-7. Axemen scarfing a tree, includes Edwin Edmonds of Picola West p49. Leigh McCann broad-axing sleepers p51. Crosscut sawing p52. Aerial view of lakes p53. Paddle steamer ‘Elizabeth’ at Echuca (painting) p54. Bullock team with load of sawn timber at Picola p55. Logging in the forest with driver Ladgrove p57. The Corry brothers bullock team 1926-7, driver Tommy Gordon p58. Steam traction engine, possibly a Ruston Hornsby p59. Group of mill workers p60. Austin truck at Evans Sawmill p61. Outrigger barge near Barmah p63. An inside barge with outrigger behind it p64. The ‘Edwards’ and its barge ‘Impulse’ belonging to Evans Sawmill p65. Collecting logs to fire the ‘Edwards’ boiler p66. ‘Edwards’ towing an inside barge p67. The ‘Adelaide’ (painting by Kenneth Jack) p69. The ‘Adelaide’ showing in 1990 how it once took logs down to Echuca p70. Modern day timber worker in the forest p71. The red gum ‘beastie’ which guards the National Gallery of Victoria p72. The ‘Edwards’ near Barmah p74. Timber stacks at the Evans Sawmill p75. Pile of Murray pine at the Evans Sawmill p77. The Madowla Lagoon and the homestead p79. ‘Madowla Park’ garden at front of homestead p80-1. McBurnie’s Bunyip Mill in flood p87. Corry brothers horse team pulls timber through the flooded forest in the late 1920s, driven by Ike Chamberlain p88. The flooded forest 1990 p89. Barmah punt p90. Aboriginal camp, Murray River, at or near Maloga Reserve p93. Aborigine on canoe, about 1870s p97. The punt at Barmah (early) p99. Indian hawkers in formal pose at Nathalia p103. Moira Lakes Wine Palace p105. Ibis in the forest p107. The Dharnya Centre 1991 p108. Snake hunt near Barmah p110. Poling a punt in the forest p113. The Murray River during the 1914-15 drought p114. A snagging boat on the Murray (engraving) p117. Henry Atkinson gathering leeches at the lakes in the 1940s p119. Leech gatherer at the lakes in the 1940s p121. Fishing where the Broken Creek enters the Murray River p123. Mustered cattle in the Barmah big log yards p127. Modern-day charcoal burners at work p128. The old Barmah Hotel p131. A buggy ride for the Corry children near the Bunyip Waterhole p133. A canoe tree in the forest p137. Duck shooters at Mannions Crossing p141. The punt at Barmah p142.

SURNAMES / FAMILY NAMES from the index:
Amos. Anderson. Betson. Cain. Conway. Corry. Curr. Elliott. Evans. Gladstone. Gracey. Howe. James. Kinnear. Lewes. McDonell. Macintosh. McBurnies. McLaurin. Maloney. Maslen. Mueller. Nicholas. Nicholls. O’Shanassy. Pearce. Peirce. Rice. Ricketson. Robertson. Rutherford. Shackell. Sturt. Turner. Westwood.

FULL INDEX available on library computers: Electronic resources \ indexes (alphabetically by name of place).

FROM THE INDEX (Placenames, institutions, etc.):
Aborigines see Koori. Aboriginal Guardian. ‘Adelaide’. ‘Aliens’ camp. Apiarists. Barges, timber, wool. Barmah Common. Barmah Lake. Barmah Race Club. Barmah township. Border. Broad axemen. Bullock teams. Cadell Tilt Block. Canoe, bark. Charcoal burners and burning. Charting. Crosscut sawing. Cummeragunga. Dharnya Centre. Drought. Duck shooting. Echuca. Ecology. Edward River. ‘Edwards’. Egrets. Fishing. Floods. Geology. Goulburn River. Barmah Hotel. Ibis. Indian hawkers.

Koori: appearance; burial places; conflict with; canoe; creation of Murray River; dress; fishing; food; life; mission stations; weapons.

Lake Moira. Leech gatherers. Lower Moira Station. Maps. Madowla Lagoon. Madowla Park. Maloga Mission Station. Mills. Moira Lake. Moira Lakes Wine Palace. Moira Station. Murray cod. Murray Fishing Company. Murray pine. Muster. Piree Hotel. Punt, Barmah. Punt guns. Punt Paddock. Rabbits. Red gum. Reeds. Sawmilling see Mills. Sheldrake Lake. Sleeper cutters. Snagging. Snakes. Steam engines. Squatters. Steamers. Tarragon. Upper Moira Station. Vineyards. Waterfowl. Water-rat. Wool trade. Yabby farming. Yielima Station.