Riverland Exposed

About the Riverland

Just over the Victorian border lies the Riverland region in South Austraila, where the Murray River snakes its way through some 300km of fruit growing country. Approximately two hours from Adelaide, the region encompasses the towns of Barmera, Berri, Blanchetown, Cobdogla, Glossop, Loxton, Lyrup, Morgan, Renmark and Waikerie. The Riverland is known as one of Australia’s largest grape growing regions, famous for citrus production, but due to drought, water licensing issues and continuing dry conditions, the very industry that put this region on the map, is now under serious threat.

Lifting Spirits

When Ro Forgan, Drought Initiative Coordinator for Relationships Australia, (SA) (RASA), ‘got chatting’ to a colleague after a Riverland Social and Community Network interagency meeting, they devised the idea of a photography project to raise the spirits of the whole community.

“The major objective was to engage children and their families in a positive endeavour, with the hope of lifting some of the dark mood in the area. A further objective was to share the results with the wider community to create a positive and growth enhancing experience for members of the community,” said Ro.

Families in the Rivlerland district who have relied on water to irrigate citrus, grapes, vegetables and other crops, now find themselves without this valuable resource. Water allocations have ranged from 5% to the present 48% of the former allocations. Those who have farmed for many generations now must decide whether they can continue to farm viably into the future. Some have taken the Federal Government’s exit grants and ceased production altogether. Those farmers who have stayed on are constantly reminded of an era gone-by, with destroyed crops scarring their land; working away to support the family. Needless to say, these pressures have lead to increased stress, grief and depression as the community faces major change.

A condition of the Government’s exit grants is for farmers to remove all trees, vines and infrastructure from their land.

“It has been a tough time. To see once productive vegetation burning in large piles, bulldozed and destroyed, only adds to the feeling of loss felt by grandfathers, fathers, and their families who have ‘built up’ their farms over time,” explained Ro.

However in many cases, producers have left ‘green belts’, a row of greenery near the highway and on road frontages, to maintain the region’s beauty.

“The irony is that though from the outside it still looks picturesque, green and lush – behind the exterior there is devastation,” said Ro.

Financing of the photographic project was provided by Relationships Australia (SA), using funding from the Australian Government. Two local RASA employees and a consultant photographer were actively involved in the project. Support was given by local schools and organisations, with prizes of digital a camera, an i-pod and theatre tickets donated, in addition to the digital cameras provided by RASA.

The Celebrating the Riverland photographic competition was offered to 30 schools in the district (both primary and high school) with 23 schools electing to take part. The students were given the broad objective of capturing images that depict, ‘things you really love about the Riverland’.

“The idea just took off, gaining its own momentum, and it was the support of many others in the community that made the project such a success,” said Ro

To ensure that all children had the opportunity to participate, including those from families suffering financial hardship, 300 disposable cameras were distributed to the students.  Parents and guardians were invited to take part in the project and many enjoyed outings with their children while they traipsed the Riverland to get the perfect shot.

Students at each school were given the opportunity to undertake a masterclass with an amateur photographer.  With the cameras brimming full of Riverland shots, they were then returned for processing. The photos were developed with the generous support of the local film processor, who employed an extra staff member for one entire week to complete the processing. The students then had the challenging task of selected five of their best images for judging in the competition.

“The reaction from the parents was extremely positive. A number of them [parents] commented on how they gained a wider appreciation of the Riverland – seeing it through the eyes of someone younger,” said Ro.

Riverland On Show

Two high profile local photographers judged the entries and prizes were presented at a community gathering in Berri. “The joy on the faces of the recipients was impressive…we have photos to prove it,” laughed Ro.

“The judges were extremely impressed with the diversity and quality of the photos, in fact they were ‘blown away’!”

With the aim of ‘taking the photos to the community’, a collage of images was created for each student and displayed in a large marquee at the popular Riverland Field Days. An impressive 1500 photos were mounted on black A3 card and hundreds of people enjoyed browsing the images that captured all the Riverland has to offer.

“In some cases the images were quite confronting, but a natural beauty was uncovered in the process,” said Ro.

A recent development of the project was an exhibition in a popular gallery in Adelaide. Riverland parents and students who attended the opening night watched on proudly as their beloved region took centre stage in the urban setting.

A gallery visitor was quoted as saying, “the quality and beauty of the images is a credit to the young people, and shows how resilient people can be in challenging times.”

The tremendous success of the project has prompted Relationships Australia (SA) to undertake a similar project for the indigenous community of the Riverland.

“The project has had an ever growing positive influence on the Riverland. Contributing to the ongoing sustainability of the community, it has provided an appreciation of the beauty which persists in tough times – engaging the community in a celebration of the skills and achievements of the region’s young people.” concluded Ro.

Website: www.riverland-australia.com.au

Relationships South Australia

Operating with the value system of diversity, respect, belonging and learning, Relationships Australia provides a range of services to assist youth and families, as well as overall community support and development.  To find out more go to www.rasa.org.au

Location: Riverland Region SA, 5345 Australia