Follow the Flow

Exploring Melbourne’s Urban Waterways:

A Review of Geography Victoria Field Trip

5 September 2026

By Nick Williams, FRSV

 

Geography Victoria has run a series of interesting field trips over the last three years, and this one was no exception.

After boarding the bus at the Royal Society, we travelled to four different study sites, on the banks of Merri Creek, Moonee Ponds Creek, and the Maribyrnong River.  At each site we were asked to observe carefully the physical appearance of the area, the vegetation, and any evidence we could see of human interference with the site. We were then asked to wait for two minutes with our eyes closed, then say what we have heard. The pH and conductivity of the water were also tested and recorded. 

The trip leaders Dr James Driscoll (Monash University), Adriana Abels (John Monash Science School) and Professor Ian Rutherfurd (The University of Melbourne) built on our replies to explain how the different appearance and physical measurements at each site could be explained, in the main, by the effects of the extent of human management which had occurred – high, significant, moderate or limited. Other very important factors include the underlying geology, local and upstream weather, and changes in climate.

As expected, the commentary was expert, and the accompanying handout very informative, as well as being written in easily accessible language.

The delicious morning tea provided by Penny and Libby was much appreciated.

These excursions are highly recommended to anyone who wants to understand more about the various physical environments in Victoria – and have a very enjoyable day at the same time.