Expressions of Interest: Reimagining the Barham exhibition
Southern Otway Landcare Network invites you to ‘dream your best dream for the Barham River‘
Rivers are being re-thought internationally, and also in Australia. Once viewed in Western cultures only as systems to be re-engineered to our liking – for transport and development, resource extraction, waste disposal – our mindset is shifting to recognise their vital importance to healthy Country and people.
The Barham River rises in the Otway Ranges and carries water year-round through the landscape to the sea at Apollo Bay. Along this journey it travels 18.5 km (via an east and west branch) and descends 481 metres. The Barham is central to our community and provides water for Apollo Bay and its hamlets of Marengo and Skenes Creek.
However, there are many signs that the river is not well and needs our help.
In 2026, SOLN is inviting the whole community to contribute to an exhibition focussing on the Barham’s place in our lives, the landscape, our imaginations, and our future. It’s an art exhibition of storytelling, reflection and vision for our waterway, where you’re invited to ‘dream your best dream for the Barham River’.
The Reimagining the Barham exhibition will take place in Apollo Bay’s beloved Mechanics Hall, from 26 April until 8 June 2026. All artworks can be sold during the exhibition period, and there are no entry or commission fees. The only requirement is that your piece must be on show for the entire exhibition period.
If you’d like to exhibit an artwork at Reimagining the Barham, PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST HERE!
NOTE: Expressions of Interest must be received NO LATER than 15th February 2026. All selected artworks must be ready by 1st April 2026.
2026 PLANT ORDERS
We may be heading into summer, but now is the time to start thinking about, and planning for, winter planting. We are now accepting orders for the 2026 planting season.
For orders over 300 plants, placed before December 1st we are able to offer a 15% discount.*
We collect all our seed and plant material around the Otways, so our plants are of local provenance and adapted to local conditions. We are currently sowing seeds for 2026, so orders placed this year can be grown to order, ready for planting next winter.
*Please note that in 2026 our retail price will increase to $4.50 for a standard forestry tube.
Place your order here: Order Form
Explore our plant range: SOLN plant list
Trees for the Barham: Saturday 25th October
SATURDAY 25th OCTOBER
10am – midday & 1pm – 3pm.
SOLN Support Centre, 125 Piggery Lane, Apollo Bay.
Join SOLN for day of creation and community connection centred around our town’s lifeblood, the Barham River.
Textile artist, Wendy Warren, will lead two community workshops to create an amazing forest of eco-dyed ‘trees’ as an installation for the Reimagining the Barham exhibition – coming in 2026.
It’s an exhibition where everyone’s contribution and stories are welcome, and we invite you to take part to begin dreaming your best dream for the Barham River.
There will be two sessions: 10am until midday, OR 1pm until 3pm.
But feel free to stay for the whole session to assist Wendy or others.
These are FREE small-group workshops, but bookings are essential and places are limited.
So please reserve your spot here now:
https://events.humanitix.com/trees-for-the-barham
Supported by the Colac-Otway Shire and Barwon Water. All enquiries to andrea.landcare@soln.org
Barham dreaming, an eco-dyeing workshop – Tuesday 21st October
Tuesday 21st October 2025
10.30am – 3.30pm: Barham dreaming – an eco-dyeing workshop
Apollo Bay Community Hall, 4 Whelan St, Apollo Bay.
Create with nature, textile artist Wendy Warren, and Apollo Bay’s Tuesday Art Group to dream your best dream for the Barham River.
Stay for the whole session or just a part of it. BYO lunch if staying.
Queries & RSVP to cathydonovan3088@gmail.com
Supported by the Colac-Otway Shire and Barwon Water.
Join our community planting day in Johanna – Sunday 2 November
You’re invited to join Otway Ridge to Cape Landcare Group, the Southern Otway Landcare Network and 15 Trees for a very special community planting day and BBQ lunch in Johanna this November! As well as helping restore native vegetation to the area you’ll also have the chance to learn about indigenous and endemic native species and what’s involved in undertaking large scale revegetation projects. After we finish planting we’ll have a chance to chat and enjoy what is shaping up to be a very special lunch thanks to our hosts.
When: Sunday 2 November.
Meet at 10:00am for a 10:30am start, we’ll follow up planting with lunch and will wrap up in the mid afternoon.
Where: Meet just off Red Johanna Road, near the Johanna River: https://maps.app.goo.gl/
Please Register and RSVP for this event to help us with numbers and catering:
- Step 1: If you haven’t already, please create a profile in our volunteer register by filling out this form: Profiles
- Step 2: RSVP for the event: https://form.fillout.com/t/
1ishyqpWohus
For more information contact: clem.landcare@soln.org
Monday 20th October. The Barham: a river for us all
MONDAY 20th OCTOBER
6pm – 7.15pm
Apollo Bay Community Hall, 4 Whelan St, Apollo Bay.
What do you know about the Barham and how can you reimagine it?
Join us for this knowledge-sharing session for the whole community about the Barham’s values, its current health challenges, and how you can get involved with Reimagining the Barham – a visionary community exhibition coming in 2026.
FREE event, but bookings essential. Please register your interest HERE:
https://events.humanitix.com/barhamriver
Or contact andrea.landcare@soln.org for more details.
This is a SOLN event, supported by the Colac-Otway Shire and Barwon Water.
