Bogan River
Encyclopedia
The Bogan River is an inland river in the central west of New South Wales
, Australia
.
This river rises at Goonumbla, 19 kilometres north-west of Parkes
and flows in a generally north-north-westerly direction past Tottenham
, Peak Hill
and through Nyngan. The Bogan
River is about 590 km in length and is a tributary
of the Darling River
. The main tributaries are: Bugwah Cowal, Bulbodney Creek, Burrill Creek, Duck Creek, and Gunningbar Creek.
Unlike the other main rivers of inland New South Wales
, the Bogan does not rise in the well-watered highland areas, so its flow is low and erratic and not much use for irrigation
.
in 1817, but was named by Charles Sturt
in his 1828-9 expedition as New Years Creek on 1 January 1829. It was also called the Bogen prior to Major Sir Thomas Mitchell reaching here in 1835
. On 17 April 1835 Richard Cunningham (botanist)
wandered away from the Mitchell party near the Bogan River and it is believed that he was killed here by Aborigines.
In April 1990, major flooding occurred along the river and in Nyngan, and despite a massive effort by local people to build levee walls using sandbags, 2,500 people had to be evacuated from the town.
The name, Bogan is thought to be an Aboriginal term for the birthplace of a leader of a local tribe.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
This river rises at Goonumbla, 19 kilometres north-west of Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
and flows in a generally north-north-westerly direction past Tottenham
Tottenham, New South Wales
Tottenham is a small town in Lachlan Shire in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. It had a population of 343 in 2006, including 21 indigenous people and 20 foreign born people ....
, Peak Hill
Peak Hill, New South Wales
Peak Hill is a town in Parkes Shire in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Peak Hill had a population of 946 people.It is on the Newell Highway and the Dubbo to Parkes railway line, completed to Peak Hill in 1910...
and through Nyngan. The Bogan
Bogan
The term bogan is Australian slang, usually pejorative or self-deprecating, for an individual who is recognised to be from a lower class background or someone whose limited education, speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour exemplifies such a background....
River is about 590 km in length and is a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Darling River
Darling River
The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...
. The main tributaries are: Bugwah Cowal, Bulbodney Creek, Burrill Creek, Duck Creek, and Gunningbar Creek.
Unlike the other main rivers of inland New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, the Bogan does not rise in the well-watered highland areas, so its flow is low and erratic and not much use for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
.
History
The river was crossed by John OxleyJohn Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
in 1817, but was named by Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
in his 1828-9 expedition as New Years Creek on 1 January 1829. It was also called the Bogen prior to Major Sir Thomas Mitchell reaching here in 1835
1835 in Australia
See also:1834 in Australia,other events of 1835,1836 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales – Major-General Sir Richard Bourke....
. On 17 April 1835 Richard Cunningham (botanist)
Richard Cunningham (botanist)
Richard Cunningham was an English botanist who became Colonial Botanist of New South Wales and superintendent of the Sydney Botanic Gardens.-Early Life:...
wandered away from the Mitchell party near the Bogan River and it is believed that he was killed here by Aborigines.
In April 1990, major flooding occurred along the river and in Nyngan, and despite a massive effort by local people to build levee walls using sandbags, 2,500 people had to be evacuated from the town.
The name, Bogan is thought to be an Aboriginal term for the birthplace of a leader of a local tribe.