For centuries the rivers sustained Aboriginal culture. Now they are dry, elders despair | Australia news | The Guardian

Driving across a bone-dry riverbed at Walgett, it’s easy to believe the worst predictions of climate disaster are happening as the temperature gauge on the car dashboard hits 49C.

Two rivers meet outside Walgett in north-west New South Wales: the Barwon and the Namoi. They are major tributaries in the Murray Darling system.

But they’re both empty, and this has never happened before.


The empty Barwon River

For centuries the rivers sustained Aboriginal culture. Now they are dry, elders despair | Australia news | The Guardian