When you reach Brewarrina go down to the banks of the Barwon River and marvel at the ancient Aboriginal rock fish traps. Here is a reminder of the how important Brewarrina was for the local indigenous community.
It is said that the fish were so plentiful that there were times when as many as 5000 Aborigines gathered beside the river to enjoy this rich harvest. This fascinating history is recorded at the Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum. Brewarrina, known to the locals simply as 'Bre' is 810 km from Sydney.
Brewarrina was settled by Europeans in the 1840s who, by the 1860s, recognised it as the furthest point up the River for steamboats. As such it became an important port for settlers wishing to ship their wool to the coast. Today Brewarrina is quiet and peaceful with some particularly attractive and historic buildings including Christ Church and the excellent suspension bridge
Brewarrina is located a short distance upstream from the junction of the Bokhara and Barwon rivers and located beside the centre of town are the famous fish traps. These rock structures provide the visitor with an insight to way the water ways were managed by the indigenous Australians of the area. This connectivity to the river and the land is continued down the Darling River in different ways, in different ‘countries’, by different groups. At Brewarrina, The Darling River Run continues upstream to Walgett and downstream to Bourke.
A great side trip for Brewarrina is to visit Lightning Ridge and take the back road (Dry weather road) via Cumborah (including Grawin) and Narran Nature Reserve (Looping around via Walgett)
