About the Helena River Catchment

The Helena River’s headwaters originate in the Darling Scarp, before traversing the coastal plain and discharging into the upper Swan Estuary at Guildford. Helena River is an ephemeral river system with a largely natural catchment comprising bushland, state forest and national parks. The catchment area varies in land use however is dominated by conservation and natural areas followed by horticulture, farming and residential.

The Helena River Catchment is treated as three separate sub-catchments, the Upper, Middle and Lower, mainly because of the large variation in landuse across the catchment, but also because of the implications and impacts of the major dams on the catchment and waterways. The HRCG focuses mainly on the middle Helena catchment from Glen Forrest down to Helena Valley.

Indigenous Importance

The Helena River Catchment offers an iconic landscape locally and internationally recognised for its natural, cultural and historic values. The Rivers and surrounding plains have been vital in sustaining the Nyoongar people for approximately 40,000 years, while providing an important historic, economic and recreational focus for Western Australia in more recent times.

According to Nyoongar tradition, the Rivers (Helena Rivers and Swan River) were formed by the mythological serpent the Waugyl , and have continuing cultural importance related to past and contemporary Nyoongar culture (Eatts et al.).

References:

Eatts, Doolan-Leisha, et al. “Spirituality | Kaartdijin Noongar.” Noongarculture.org.au, 2011, http://www.noongarculture.org.au/spirituality/