How conservationists brought Melbourne's Merri Creek back from pollution, neglect and weeds

I met with a friend for a walk beside Merri Creek, in inner Melbourne. She had lived in the area for a few years, and as we walked beside the creek, past trees, native grasses, a small wetland echoing with frog calls, I talked about how it had looked before we started the site's restoration around 25 years ago. She stopped in her tracks, astonished. "But I thought it had always been like this!" she said.