Lara - Lara

Lara: Place of the Swamp Gums

Region and Language Group

Larra, now known as Lara, lies at the base of the You Yangs (Anakie Hills) on Wadawurrung Country, within the Kulin Nation of central and southern Victoria. The Wadawurrung language, sometimes written as Wathaurung, covers lands stretching from the Werribee River and the You Yangs westward to Geelong, Ballarat, and the Bellarine Peninsula (Clark 1990; Wadawurrung Traditional Owners 2023).

The name Larra translates as “swamp” or “place of swamp gums,” describing the extensive wetlands, red gum plains, and ephemeral lakes that once covered the district. These features defined the area both ecologically and spiritually, forming a vital part of the Wadawurrung cultural landscape.

Lara History

The township of Lara sits within a landscape that once shimmered with wetlands and tall river red gums — a place of abundant life and cultural meaning. For thousands of years, Larra was a seasonal food and ceremony ground, linking the Moorabool River, Hovells Creek, and Port Phillip’s western wetlands (Clark & Heydon 2002).

In the Wadawurrung worldview, swamps were sacred ecosystems — nurseries for fish, frogs, and waterbirds, and gathering places for families and clans. They represented fertility, water, and renewal. The red gums that grew in these areas, known for their strong roots and hollow limbs, were used to make canoes, coolamons, and shelters.

Country and Ecology

Before colonisation, Larra formed part of the Werribee–Avalon wetland system, which extended across the plains between Geelong and Melbourne. The low-lying basalt country created natural catchments that filled after rain, forming seasonal lakes, creeks, and billabongs.

These wetlands teemed with life — black swans, brolgas, ducks, pelicans, eels, and yabbies — providing food and materials for the Wadawurrung. Eel traps, woven from reeds and branches, were set across narrow water channels, while bark canoes were used to fish and travel. The tall swamp gums (Eucalyptus ovata) that gave Larra its name provided shade, bark, and habitat for birds and possums.

Culturally, water and birdlife carried spiritual meaning. Elders taught that the presence of swans and frogs signalled a healthy Country, while drought or silence in the wetlands reflected imbalance — a warning that the laws of land care were being neglected (Howitt 1904; Atkinson 2002).

Spiritual Significance

In Wadawurrung stories, wetlands like Larra were home to water spirits — protectors and teachers who maintained the balance of life. One such being, often compared to the Bunyip, was said to dwell in deep pools beneath the gums, emerging only when the land was disrespected or polluted. These stories taught moral and ecological responsibility: water was to be used carefully, always shared, and never wasted (Reed 1969; Smyth 1878).

Red gum plains also played a role in ceremonial gatherings. Their open canopies and wide clearings made them ideal for corroboree grounds and meeting places between Wadawurrung clans and visiting Woiwurrung neighbours. The You Yangs nearby, known as Anakie, served as a landmark and spiritual site visible from Larra and beyond.

Colonisation and Early Settlement

European occupation of the Larra district began in the late 1830s. Pastoral runs such as Elcho, Lara, and Wooloomanata were established by squatters seeking access to freshwater and grazing land. The wetlands that sustained life for millennia were quickly drained or fenced, and the red gums felled for timber and fuel (Boyce 2011; Clark 1995).

This transformation brought violence and dispossession. Frontier records and local oral history recall conflict between Wadawurrung people and settlers across the plains between Werribee, Little River, and the You Yangs, including incidents involving the Batman brothers and other early graziers (Cahir 2012).
By the 1850s, the wetlands that had defined Larra were largely converted into farmland, but Wadawurrung families continued to return seasonally, fishing, gathering reeds, and maintaining ceremony in quieter areas around Hovells Creek and Anakie Gorge.

Environmental Change and Memory

As water systems were drained, biodiversity declined. The swamp gums — once abundant — were cleared to make way for crops and stock. Yet the ecological memory of Larra endures. Seasonal flooding still brings waterbirds back to Lake Serendip and Hovells Creek, echoing the ancient cycles of Wadawurrung Country.

Modern science now recognises these wetlands as critical ecosystems for carbon storage, water purification, and species diversity — functions long understood in Wadawurrung ecological knowledge (Pascoe 2014; Wadawurrung Traditional Owners 2023).

Modern Renewal and Cultural Restoration

Today, Larra and its surrounding landscapes form part of a renewed cultural and environmental focus. The Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, in partnership with Parks Victoria and Serendip Sanctuary, leads restoration programs that integrate Indigenous ecological knowledge with conservation science.

Community education projects in Lara now highlight the area’s original name and meaning, with interpretive signage, cultural tours, and school programs reintroducing the story of the “place of swamp gums.” These initiatives aim to heal both land and memory, re-establishing respect for the wetlands that once defined the region’s life.

Conclusion

Larra, the “place of the swamp gums,” holds within it the story of water, balance, and endurance. From its ancient wetlands to its red gum plains, it remains a symbol of the Wadawurrung relationship to Country — one of care, ceremony, and renewal. Though the swamps have changed, the spirit of Larra continues to rise with the rains and the return of the birds, reminding all who live there of the law of respect between land, water, and people.

References

·       Atkinson, J. (2002) Trauma Trails: Recreating Songlines – The Transgenerational Effects of Trauma in Indigenous Australia. Spinifex Press.

·       Barwick, D. (1984) ‘Mapping the Past: An Atlas of Victorian Aboriginal Clans’, Aboriginal History Journal, 8(1), pp. 100–131.

·       Boyce, J. (2011) 1835: The Founding of Melbourne and the Conquest of Australia. Black Inc.

·       Cahir, F. (2012) Black Gold: Aboriginal People on the Goldfields of Victoria, 1850–1870. ANU Press.

·       Clark, I. D. (1990) Aboriginal Languages and Clans: An Historical Atlas of Western and Central Victoria, 1800–1900. Monash Publications.

·       Clark, I. D. (1995) Scars in the Landscape: A Register of Massacre Sites in Western Victoria 1803–1859. Aboriginal Studies Press.

·       Clark, I. D. and Heydon, T. (2002) The Confluence of the Werribee and the Lerderderg: An Environmental and Historical Study. Heritage Council of Victoria.

·       Howitt, A. W. (1904) The Native Tribes of South-East Australia. Macmillan.

·       Pascoe, B. (2014) Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture. Magabala Books.

·       Reed, A. W. (1969) Aboriginal Myths, Legends and Fables. A.H. & A.W. Reed.

·       Smyth, R. B. (1878) The Aborigines of Victoria. Victorian Government Printer.

·       Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (2023) Caring for Larra: Country, Culture and Community. Geelong.

Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter (22 September 2025)

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Magic Lands Alliance acknowledges the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples’ communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of their respective communities.