Goolay'yari Cooks River Radio

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27 Sep 2026 · 1 hr

Ep 8: Finding the Long Lost Swamp

Nature really is unquashable. Nature always finds a way to come back, to poke through the cracks, to stick around on the margins and await the day that better conditions arrive. No matter how we try to control, shape or suppress it, nature is there, waiting to make itself known to us. First up in this episode we're talking about the Gumbramorra Swamp, the vast wetland that used to cover most of Marrickville and still lurks underground, waiting to rise up and flood the suburb during big rains. We're joined by Sue Castrique, who's just published Gumbramorra: Water, Place and People , and Uncle…

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Earlier episodes 8 most recent

1. 

   E7 · 30 Aug 2026 · 1 hr

   Ep 7: The Toxic Waterway

   This month we’re spending time in the part of our river catchment with the worst reputation of all. The most unloved part of a river system that was unloved for so long. The most unnatural, the most toxic. The worst of the worst. I’m talking about Shea’s Creek, but you might know it better as the Alexandr(i)a Canal. In this episode you’ll hear from historian Ron Ringer about the history of this waterway, and how it came to be the way it is. We’re also delving into a recent controversy; we’re following up on the significant oil spill here recently and…

2. 

   31 Jul 2026 · 1 hr

   Ep 6: The Cooks River Data Centre?

   This month we’re jumping in deep and covering the new proposal to redevelop the Kogarah Golf Course into a logistics hub and possible data centre. This proposal and the community reaction to it feels like an important moment in the history of our river. It’s a moment when priorities and the way we do things are being contested. In this episode you’ll meet a number of people who can help explain the proposal, what it means, and what the reaction to it has been. We’ll follow some rabbitholes and even receive an anonymous tip off. You’ll also hear from most of the…

3. 

   28 Jun 2026 · 1 hr

   Ep 5: What Happened at the Golf Course?

   On this episode it’s all about the Marrickville Golf Course. But we’re not talking to any golfers! Instead, the focus is on the place the golf course is in, the landscape itself, the local environment, its history and its ecology, especially its flora. Come along on a walk around the course with Gabby Richards, local amateur historian of Marrickville and keeper of all the suburb’s stories, as she takes us through the history of this land from before colonisation, through early settlement and into the 20th century. You’ll hear about when it was a productively managed…

4. 

   31 May 2026 · 1 hr

   Ep 4: With Our Powers Combined…

   The river is something that brings people together. It’s a space for people to gather, it’s a focal point for community. It provides a beautiful setting for people to meet, to share, to talk, to enjoy each other’s company. This episode of Goolay’yari Cooks River Radio is all about how our river and the other rivers in Eora/Sydney inspire people to join together, to care for and to fight for these beautiful natural spaces. This month I went down to Customs House in Circular Quay to attend the biggest get-together of river lovers Eora/Sydney has ever seen, the Sydney…

5. 

   25 Apr 2026 · 1 hr

   Ep 3: The Cooks River Bird Nerds

   Birds. Who doesn’t love birds? They’re the colour and movement that draw people to the river. They’re the ambassadors for wildlife and nature experiences for people in the city. They’re so important, both for ecosystems and for our relationships to these places. When you go to the river, or listen to this show, birds are what you hear. In today’s episode we head out onto the river for a morning of birdwatching with the Mudcrabs’ bird-obsessed offshoot, the Mudlarks. Since 2019 they’ve been meeting once a month without fail, come rain, hail or, like…

6. 

   29 Mar 2026 · 1 hr

   Ep 2: Who are the Mudcrabs?

   Have you ever walked past a problem so many times you just had to jump in and sort it out? No matter the barriers? One man, working alone in the mangroves, did just that—and we're still feeling the impact today. In this episode of Goolay'yari Cooks River Radio we have an interview with Alison Gibbs, founding member of the Mudcrabs and author of Celebrating 20 Years: The Mudcrabs Cooks River Eco Volunteers 2005–2025 . She takes us through their early history and why the group is still so vital. We also have the first edition of our segment Who Were They? , this month investigating…

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