Working River — Yarra Birrarung
Melbourne, 2025

Downstream towards Port Phillip Bay, the Yarra Birrarung becomes a working river.

These images trace the edges where industry, people and green infrastructure meet.

Industrial landscapes at first light set the scale. Mangrove restoration at the base of oil storage tanks puts heavy industry and ecological repair in the same frame. Rowing, fishing, jogging and dawn hot air ballooning signal human interaction with the river. Seedlings, floating planters and engineered river edges demonstrate commitment to repair. Together the images suggest a waterway under pressure yet actively cared for, balancing function, access, amenity and sustainability.

Several of these images were simultaneously exhibited in Melbourne Australia and Osaka Japan as part of RIVER DIALOGUES.

An elderly man wearing a green knit beanie and a navy jacket is seen from behind, steering a boat on a body of water. A red lifebuoy with black lettering is visible in the background, attached to the boat's structure.

David has skippered the punt for years, taking people across the Yarra

Night view of two large white industrial storage tanks reflecting in a calm body of water, with trees and a few buildings in the background.

Petrochemical storage alongside restorative mangroves

A bridge over a body of water during sunset with seagulls flying in the sky.

Sunset near the river mouth, birds contrasting with the infrastructure that carries freight and people near the industrial areas

Fishing rod with a green fish bite indicator and a fishing bell near the water, with yellow flowers and tall grasses in the background.

Two people fishing by the water at dusk near a pile of wood chips, with industrial buildings and shipping containers in the background.

Fishing and industry coexisting

A factory chimney emitting dark smoke into the sky during sunset, with water and rocks in the foreground and power lines and towers in the background.

Industrial sunrise

Reflection of train cars and utility poles in a calm body of water, with yellow flowers and rocks along the grassy shoreline in the foreground.

Shipping containers contrast with the natural riverside vegetation

Industrial factory by a body of water during sunset with dark clouds and hot air balloons in the sky.

Hot air balloons and rowers at dawn set against the gritty end of the working river

Infrared image of a sandcastle with two people standing nearby. The sandcastle has tall towers and walls, illuminated with purple and orange hues. Temperature readings show P2 at 28.8°C and P1 at 11.7°C.

Thermal image of joggers on a cold morning