Narran Lake

The Narran Wetlands, also known as the Narran Lakes, contained within the Narran Lake Nature Reserve, comprise a series of protected ephemeral lakes and swamps fed by the Narran River in the north-west of New South Wales, Australia.

The Narran Wetlands, also known as the Narran Lakes, contained within the Narran Lake Nature Reserve, comprise a series of protected ephemeral lakes and swamps fed by the Narran River in the north-west of New South Wales, Australia. The 26,480-hectare (65,400-acre) reserve is located approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of Brewarrina.

An 8,447-hectare (20,870-acre) area contained within the reserve is protected under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. It is internationally important because of its rarity and naturalness; its significance for waterbirds, supporting large colonial waterbird breeding events of ibis, spoonbills and cormorants; and its importance as a drought refuge for waterbirds. The vegetation and the waterbird colonies are at risk from reduced flooding caused by upstream water abstraction for agriculture in Queensland.

Yuwaalayaay (also known as Uallaroi, Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. It is closely related to the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. The Yuwaalayaay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Goodooga extending to Walgett and the Narran Lakes in New South Wales.

Archaeological evidence in the form of stone artefacts has dated human occupation in the region to at least 30,000 years. A flat grindstone embedded with plant tissue was used to grind bulrush tubers over 28,000 years ago. Giiguradjin (the northern Narran Lake area) was once the site of large gatherings (or yuurrma-y in the Uallaroi language) of Aboriginal people. It is a place where several Dreaming Tracks converge. The lake's creation story is linked to Baayami and relates a struggle between crocodiles. While crocodiles are no longer found in the area, excavations at a paleontological site at nearby Cuddie Springs that was once a lake during the arid glacial period shows extinct giant kangaroos, the marsupial lion, the diprotodon (giant wombat) and at least two species of crocodiles were present.The explorer Thomas Mitchell is the first known European to visit the Narran Lakes area in 1846. He was guided through the area by local Aboriginal people, and recorded following "well-beaten paths of the natives" as well as "pure water in great abundance" and "most excellent grass". Mitchell recorded that Indigenous people made a paste or bread out of harvested seeds of the Panicum laevinode grasses.