The rivers that run through Currie

You might have noticed that Currie looks a bit different. We have a new brand, a new website, and a renewed appreciation of how people care about Currie. Creating our new look was a team effort. Together, we brainstormed, mulled things over, and brainstormed some more. We engaged strategy and innovation consultancy, Tank, to guide us. The result was a new, updated visual representation of what we believe Currie means to each of us, and to our clients. Currie works at the nexus of food, people and nature. It is here, in this cross section, that we connect clients and stakeholders in conversations about a better way forward. But how to represent this space with a visual identity? This was the challenge we posed to our team, and their answer was: ‘rivers’. Rivers foster connection. They run through rural, regional, and metropolitan areas and link us together. In many regions, they are crucial to our farmers’ ability to produce the food that sustains our people. They are life support for wetlands, bushlands, forests, and the fauna that thrives within them. And, they bring our communities together as we gather around rivers to celebrate holidays, escape the city on weekends, or enjoy Friday night knock-off drinks at a bar while we watch the city lights dance on the river’s surface. Despite their strength, rivers also represent the fragility of our natural environment and the pressing need for us as a population to foster more sustainable living habits. Average temperatures are increasing, droughts are occurring more often, and the volume of water available to our towns, farms and environment is dropping. Only 2.5% of the Earth’s water is freshwater, which serves life’s needs. Only 1.2% of this is available as surface water. Rivers are the perfect representation of the people we work with and the work we do together. So, our Currie staff members were invited to nominate a river that is important to them (see below), and these became the running motif of our new visual identity. The fine lines you see running across our images and documents each represent a river. Our new look is a product of collaboration, of personal investment from each of our team, and of our 30-year history of working at the nexus of food, people and nature. We love it, and we hope you do too. Drop us a note and tell us what you think! Best wishes, Team Currie Pambula River “I love the rivers of NSW’s south coast, like the Pambula River. I have great memories of going out with Dad and brothers, fishing on the tinny up there. I can feel the sun and wind on my skin; dance my fingertips on the water; hear the bell birds chime; smell the water and the diesel from the little outboard.” – Laura Griffin, Consultant Murray River “The Murray is a lifeline for the Riverina, which is my home. She keeps our crops watered, she’s a home to our birdlife and gum trees, and I grew up skidding down her banks while we raced to the edge for a swim. One of my favourite memories is sitting on my horse’s back in the river and dangling my toes through the surface while she made bubbles with her nose. The Murray is the backbone of our Riverina communities.” – Laura Browning, Consultant Nile River “But all is changed for mankind when [the Nile] comes; If [the Nile] shines, the earth is joyous, every stomach is full of rejoicing, every spine is happy, every jawbone crushes (its food). – Hymn to the Nile, c. 2100 BCE” – Gabrielle Sheehan, Director Client Services Yarra River “The Yarra river twists and turns its way through Melbourne, breaking apart the concrete jungle with bursts of greenery and birdlife. Similarly, the river is entwined in many of my memories growing up in this city. From gliding on top of it in a rowing boat at sunrise on a frosty weekday morning, to cycling along the numerous bike paths that intersect and run alongside its waters, to walking with my dog through the trails at Yarra bend. For me, and many others, the Yarra provides a valuable connection to nature in the middle of the Melbourne metropolis.” – Isabella Grutzner, Consultant “The Yarra River is Melbourne’s most important natural asset and all Melburnians are dependent on it. It supplies most of our piped water. The river corridor is one of the region’s prime wildlife habitats and is a popular place for recreational and nature-based activities, which are vital to community well-being and the city’s liveability.” Source: http://yarrariver.org.au/ – Meemee Leong, Accounts Manager Waikato River “Aotearoa New Zealand is blessed with rivers. A cultural lifeforce. Precious water – a tupuna, or ancestor – that has nourished the people on its banks for centuries. But also forms arteries for the economy – hydro power, tourism, farming – and arteries for nature. Such a tricky balance. So very worth protecting.” – Susan McNair, Managing Director