A Torrumbarry resident has penned a tribute to the local environment. Photo: Darcy Williams.
A Torrumbarry resident has written a tribute to the local environment, exploring her connection to the country.
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Darcy Williams is a student at Melbourne University, studying a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Indigenous studies.
Currently living between the city and the bush, Darcy has extended family that live locally and strong ties along the Murray River.
She said her affinity for the natural surroundings was a major drawcard for returning to the area.
“There’s not many places, especially so close to a township, where you get this river system that is so extraordinarily alive,” Darcy said.
“I love being outside, and I love thinking about place. I just find the idea of it really interesting, how we fit into that, in the way we change place and introduce things to it.”
As part of her studies, Darcy wrote an essay that examines the relationship between Gunbower State Park, Ghow Swamp and Pyramid Hill.
Essay extract
“The dominant connection between these sites lies in their visual presence — each is within sight of the other, or if not seen, deeply felt, bound together by the coursing waters.”
The purpose of the essay was to map cultural landmarks in a certain place, and Darcy outlines her own connection to these features within it.
“I wanted to understand the place I live, because I’ve chosen to live here,” she said.
It begins with a personal story about a time spent swimming in the Murray River, or Mile, in Gunbower, focusing on the environment and its contrast to modern life.
Essay extract
“Here, in the heart of Gunbower, time seems to stretch and bend.”
...
“There is a sense of being watched, not by eyes but by the forest itself.”
The story is accompanied by photographs of wildlife and scar trees, a handwritten note, and a sketch of the river and its surrounds.
Photos of Ghow Swamp follow, in which Pyramid Hill can be seen on the horizon, leading into the next section of the essay.
Pyramid Hill can be seen jutting out of the landscape from Ghow Swamp. Photo: Darcy Williams.
Darcy writes about the modernisation of the surrounding land and its distinction when compared to the ancient hill, citing the golf course as an example.
“Someone probably thought, ‘wow, what an interesting place. Let’s put something here, so more people can see this place’,” she said.
Essay extract
“Pyramid Hill stood as a sentinel, its form unchanged through centuries, a constant in a land that has seen so much change.”
Change has been a constant in Darcy’s life the past few years as well: she’s moved between Dookie, Gippsland and Melbourne, studying and working between agriculture, health care and the public sector.
She currently has work with her partner in the renewable energy sector, and is organising an internship with state Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh.
But with Darcy’s studies ongoing, her wayfaring life will continue for now, although hopefully not for long.
“I understand why people don’t like going to the city once they live somewhere like this,” Darcy said.
To read Darcy’s entire essay and find more of her work, visit dayblindstars.blog
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