An hour north of Sydney, a drowned valley plunges forty metres into darkness. For over a century, witnesses have reported something moving through the Hawkesbury River that shouldn't exist. Long necks rising from murky water, massive shapes surfacing near boats, creatures that defy explanation. The Darug people have stories about this river that stretch back 50,000 years. Bull sharks are confirmed. Seals enter from the Pacific. In Episode 29 of Strewth, we dive into Australia's deepest river mystery.

Sources

Australian Geomechanics Society: "Marine geophysical investigations of palaeo-drainage systems in the Hawkesbury River Estuary, New South Wales, Australia."

MiNDFOOD. "Sydney Siders Urged to Exercise Caution and Avoid Harbour Waters After Recent Shark Attack." https://www.mindfood.com/article/sydney-siders-urged-to-exercise-caution-and-avoid-harbour-waters-after-recent-shark-attack/

Trove: "SHARK TRAGEDY - YOUTH'S TERRIBLE DEATH." The Canberra Times, December 14, 1936. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2417183

The Dictionary of Sydney. "The Dyarubbin Project: Aboriginal history, culture and places on the Hawkesbury River." https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/the_dyarubbin_project_aboriginal_history_culture_and_places_on_the_hawkesbury_river

"Darug women claim back their Hawkesbury history." Central News, May 31, 2021. https://centralnews.com.au/2021/05/31/darug-women-claim-back-their-hawkesbury-history/

"The Hawkesbury River Monster." Mysterious Australia. https://www.mysteriousaustralia.com/the_hawkesbury_river_monster.html

Title Music: by Jesse Frank from Pixabay

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