ECHUCA-MOAMA is the site where three rivers – the Dungala, Yakoa and Gaiyila – meet.
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Three Rivers Festival symbolises this intersection.
For six years, the annual Indigenous event has brought communities together for two days of vibrant culture, connection and celebration.
And this weekend, it’s back for another round.
“The Three Rivers Festival is a community event that incorporates touch football, music, art and Aboriginal culture,” organiser Clayton Murray-Mitchell said.
“Firstly, it’s about promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
“Second, strengthening and promoting Aboriginal cultures, particularly Yorta Yorta.
“And third, just bringing families together in that positive space and catching up, connecting and building on our relationships – and most importantly, having fun.”
Touch football teams will be travelling from as far as Burke in northern New South Wales and Haywood in Victoria’s south-west to compete.
In addition to the two-day touch footy competition, the festival will include a free community concert on Saturday at the Moama Soundshell from 4.30pm to 8pm.
Tamworth’s Buddy Knox will play some blues and The Deans of Soul will keep crowds dancing with their soul and funk grooves.
Plus Echuca’s own Madi Colville-Walker will enchant with another performance.
“Our festival favourites, the Indigenous Hip Hop Projects from Melbourne, will also be returning,” Clayton said.
“It's going to be exciting, everyone is coming up for it.
“And it's an inclusive event, everybody is welcome.”
Uncle Colin Walker will also provide a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, plus there will be arts and crafts stalls and an animal farm from Billabong Ranch.
When Clayton first launched the event in 2014, he just wanted to give back to the community by promoting and sharing a love of indigenous culture.
Six years on, he can’t believe it’s where it is today.
“Without support from community members and other organisations it wouldn't have been able to go from strength to strength each year,” he said.
“In particular, Yorta Yorta Nationa Aboriginal Corporation, Njernda Aboriginal Corporation, Multicultural Arts Victoria, Touch Football Victoria and the local Moama Touch Football committee.
“They've all helped shaped this festival into what it is today and even now I see potential for it to keep growing and expanding which is something I'd like to see.
“My first aim was to get it to five years, we've achieved that. Now it's going to 10 years so that's the ultimate aim.”
While Clayton has been working with headspace Midland in Perth for the past two years, Echuca-Moama always calls the proud Yorta Yorta Wemba Wemba man home.
Where he hopes to continue promoting mental health care for young people.
“What I've learned working with young people with mental health issues opened my eyes and makes me want to do more work when I do eventually come back to my community,” he said.
“But I do think the festival is a good platform to be able to promote those messages and also link them in with services.
“So we’ll have headspace Shepparton coming over this year and they'll talk about how to access services. Plus the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service will be up here with a stall.
“We just really want to push that health message out into the community, particularly the young people.”