Yarra River: Magical 'mist-ery' tour (Photo courtesy Bill McAuley | billmcauleyphotographer.com)
I photographed this heron touching down on a branch in the Yarra, in Warrandyte, on a cold and misty morning.
The Indigenous people of the Kulin nation, the Wurundjeri, named Victoria's Yarra River Birrarung. They also call it Birrarung Marr.
According to cultural resource port Deadly Story:
'"Birrarung" is the traditional name of the Yarra River and "marr" refers to the mist that sometimes settles over the Birrarung. Loosely, the words are often translated as "river of mists".'
It is believed the current name was mistranslated from another Wurundjeri term in the Boonwurrung language, yarro-yarro, meaning "ever-flowing".
**This photograph is part of a new IA series that looks at Australia through the lens of award-winning photojournalist, Bill McAuley.**
Bill McAuley's 40-plus-year news career began in 1969 as a cadet photographer at 'The Age' in Melbourne.
Bill has several published collections, including 'Portraits of the Soul: A lifetime of images with Bill McAuley'. To see more from Bill, click here.
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