The CRC for Freshwater Ecology had a profound influence on the relationship between the research and water management communities in Australia. One of the initiatives spawned by the CRC FE was implementing the idea of knowledge brokers. Peter Cullen, CRC FE Foundation Chief Executive, believed that translating science into knowledge that could be applied to management and policy questions required both a significant time commitment (that would take researchers away from their core activities) and a special skill set not shared by all researchers. The passage of time has not, however, seen the concept of knowledge brokers flourish in the area of freshwater science. This raises the question of what the investment in Knowledge Broking has taught us in terms of communicating science and improving the relationship between science and management. This talk will reflect on MDFRC’s experience with Knowledge Brokers and explore some of the individual and institutional characteristics that influence a Knowledge Broker’s capacity to fulfil their role. The presentation will conclude with some reflections on the implications for future investments in science communication.