A new collection of Australian writing and image commissions responding to the landscape, communities and histories surrounding the Parramatta River has been released by Powerhouse Parramatta in a new series titled ‘The River’.
Eight Australian writers with connections to Western Sydney were commissioned to develop stories that bring to life experiences and imaginings central to the river – a place of conflict, rebirth, joy, possibility and of coming together across time and culture.
Award-winning writer Felicity Castagna is the commissioning editor, bringing together contributors Lachlan Brown, Fiona Murphy, Vivian Pham, Willem Brussen, Jiva Parthipan, Maarama Kāmira and Anwen Crawford to contribute to the series. Each writer was selected for their unique literary style, responding to the river in their own way, from personal essays exploring cultural connections and rituals, to conversations with Dharug Elders and a poet’s impression.
Conor O’Brien was commissioned by Powerhouse Artistic Associate Zan Wimberley to create a series of new images and Joseph Mayers has contributed images that capture the cultural landscapes of the river. The River is part of the museum’s new initiative, Powerhouse Writing, a project that embeds writing across the museum through storytelling. It brings new perspectives to the Powerhouse Collection and the applied arts and sciences, while shining a light on the communities and landscapes surrounding Powerhouse Parramatta. It is an ongoing project encompassing digital stories, publications and program commissions.
Powerhouse Head of Writing, Jemma Birrell, says that like the Parramatta River, this collection is both local and specific yet also universal, connecting to other parts of the world. These stories are rich and varied, and the notion of Country is central. It’s an incredible range of perspectives on the river which, as Maarama Kāmira says ‘watches and gathers our fleeting stories’.
Speaking to the The Australia Today, Jeema added that stories around the river were one way of exploring notions of Country central to opening Powerhouse Parramatta.
“When I started at Powerhouse one of the first projects I started working on was a series of writing commissions around the Parramatta River.
I asked writer and artist Felicity Castagna (who has lived close to the river for many years), to be the commissioning editor. She’s brought together 7 other established and emerging writers connected to Western Sydney. Their essays (and poetry in one case) are rich and varied, bringing a kaleidoscopic impression of the river, as well as new histories and perspectives
Powerhouse also commissioned images of the landscape surrounding the river, which are published alongside the writing and bring their own interpretation.”
Speaking about the project, Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said,
“Powerhouse Writing continues our support of Australian writers through commissions, collaborations, residencies and events, helping develop and grow our arts ecosystem while enabling national and international connections. ‘The River’ is one of the first projects in this initiative and I’m proud of the writers and image makers we can showcase through this series and the stories so closely connected to Powerhouse Parramatta.”
Commissioning Editor Felicity Castagna mentions that she walks the river every day and thinks about the layers of history that are underneath her feet.
“In editing ‘The River’ I’ve been given the impossible task of trying to gather together all those layers of story which extend 60,000 years back in time to when First Nations people traded here to the present, where it is still, first and foremost, a gathering space for the local communities around it. ‘Through this dynamic and diverse collection of writers that have all gathered here in their own ways, I hope I’ve managed to capture what it means to be here and why the river is such an important part of our local and national story.”
Felicity told The Australia Today that it’s been such a privilege to be able to help bring all those stories of a place that she feels so connected with to the general public.
“I walk the river every day and I think about all the many layers of story that are held there in both the natural and man made environment. There are still chemicals in the soil from the many factories that have lined the river over time. Underneath the ground, there are still the bodies of people who were held there in asylums and orphanages and religious and state institutions. It has this huge history which spans back many thousands of years and which I’m a small part of now.”
“I’m really interested in the way that I’ve watched the landscape develop over the years as a local. There’s this incredibly striking contrast between the 15,000 year old mangrove forests on the river’s edge and all these hyper new, incredibly tall and shiny apartment blocks going up around them. In my essay, I wanted to capture that sense of a city in flux – one that exists simultaneously in the past and the present.
Firstly, the river always was and always will be Burramattagal country. Secondly, it’s important to explore how the many generations of migrants use the river now in their own ways – from promenading up and down the river like they may have in their home country, to fishing, engaging in religious rituals and bringing different communities together around the river through eating and cooking there”, added Felicity.
Fiona Murphy is one of the contributors to the series. Fiona told The Australia Today that she was immediately drawn to the concept.
“While the river is a specific location it is inherently ever changing as it moves through the landscape. As a writer it is a pleasure to write about something that is charged with momentum and lifeforce.”
“I was keen to show readers what it is like to move through the world as a deaf person, especially moving through a well known location. While most people assume deafness is a state of sensory deprivation, it really is one of alertness — watching, feeling, tasting, and responding to the world.”
Willem Brussen, who was also among the contributors to the series told The Australia Today, what was the inspiration behind his piece.
“The inspiration was to talk to three Elders who I respect deeply and to understand their connection to the river and the area. Through having these yarns and sharing stories this made me reflect further on my own connections to the area. I felt particular resonance to Aunty Julie Christian’s connection to a tree nearby to the river. The imagery of the tree growing through the fence underpinned the resilience of stories that were shared throughout. Whether they be the stories of frontier warriors shared by Uncle Chris Tobin or reflections shared through the work that Aunty Karen Maber does now in Parramatta with The Dharug Keeping Place.”
“When I started writing the piece I didn’t really know where it would go, I knew I wanted to have conversations with my Elders and let that guide the direction. I felt fortunate to be able to have yarns with my Elders that I might not necessarily have had the opportunity without the means of writing this piece for the Powerhouse.”
Willem also mentioned how important it is to have diverse voices while weaving histories of ancient lands and cultures.
“Both Aunty Karen and Uncle Chris spoke about how Parramatta is a meeting place, and it always has been. As such it is a place where people from all walks of life can come together. I think it’s really important to capture those voices and the varied as well as shared histories of those voices.”
Jiva Parthipan, another contributor to the series, reflects upon the role of rivers in cultural continuity across continents. Jiva told The Australia Today that he thinks of the river’s functions in both physical and emotional spaces, and how we ascribe our personal, political, environmental and cultural histories to landscapes.
“With over eighty percent of our bodies compromising water, it’s only apt we come and end our lives with water”, added Jiva.
