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In 1853, the Archer Brothers established
the first grazing property on the banks of the Fitzroy River. Since
then, the region has become a thriving rural centre, with the river
at its heart. Agricultural, mining and pastoral pursuits dominate
the catchment and are likely to have a broad influence on the river
and its coastline.
Past land management practices, in combination with natural geographic
and climatic factors, have contributed to considerate alterations
to downstream riparian and coastal ecosystems. A dramatic example
of this involves the formation of new mangrove islands near the
river mouth. Can we seperate human influences from natural ones?
What are the effect of these changes? Does it matter? How much is
the quality of our lives linked with that of the river and its wetland
environments?
The time is right to take stock and evaluate. The coastal CRC's
Historical Coastlines Project is gathering knowledge and comparing
current indicators of ecological condition with those from the past,
using photographs, maps and memories. In this phase of the project,
the team is focusing on changes in coastal features and intertidal
wetlands of the Fitzroy River.
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| Changing view of river mouth
from 1864 to 2002, showing the formation of new mangrove islands. |
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