Nobody knows the Maribyrnong River like Peter Somerville.
Cruising the Blackbird up and down the river four days a week for the past 36 years has provided the captain with insights into both the physical and psychological impact of the waterway on society – as well as humankind’s impact on the river.
Mr Somerville is quick to point out the Maribyrnong was discovered by white settlers a day before the Yarra River, and he cheerfully pronounces the river as the more important of the two.
“People from the western suburbs learnt to swim in this river; it’s always been very much a part of their life,” he says.
Mr Somerville is critical of development that’s encroached on the river’s edge, but he’s pleased with the improvements made since he began operating his ferry on the river in 1979.
Mr Somerville will be part of a panel discussion next week that will explore ways in which rivers connect and divide a city.
The free Victoria University Game Changers Conversation Series event will be at VU at MetroWest, 138 Nicholson Street, Footscray, from 6.30-8pm, Thursday, September 17.
RSVP: footscrayunitown.com.au
