For a new British colony to succeed on the Port River changes had to be made. While beautiful, the River also had to be useful. It needed to be cut wider and deeper for ships, the land had to be cleared for settlement and profits had to be made. Creeks provided fresh water to drink and the River provided a place to dump waste.

Changes to the dolphins’ world were rapid. By 1900 the River was dense with ships and the shores were lined with factories. Metal ores, soda ash, sulphuric acid and cement were all produced at the water’s edge and waste was poured into the River. Stormwater from the city also ended up in the estuary and this remains one of the major causes of pollution today.