Campaspe River
Encyclopedia
The Campaspe River is a river
in Victoria
, Australia
. It was named by Major Mitchell in 1836 for Campaspe
, a mistress of Alexander the Great.
The river was known as yalooka by the local aboriginal people of the Rochester
area.
, the river flows north and joins the Murray River
.
northwest of Bullengarook
and southwest of Macedon
not far from Firth Park a local camping ground and historical area. it then flows west of the township of Woodend
and then through the town of Kyneton
. The Calder Highway
crosses the river at this point.
, a constructed reservoir. The Coliban River
, the most significant tributary of the Campaspe, also flows into Lake Eppalock.
Towns located on the river in this area include Redesdale
located just above Eppalock and Axedale
, located just below Eppalock, where the McIvor Highway
crosses the river.
and Rochester
lie on the river's lower reaches. The Midland Highway and the Northern Highway cross the river at Elmore.
The river meets the Murray River near the town of Echuca
.
trees and hedgerows of hawthorn
bushes, some of the latter remaining today.
Over a number of years the willow growth has been progressively cleared and eradicated by local groups of volunteers. The willow-free parts of the river have been subsequently replanted with indigenous species. Walking routes and cycle tracks have been installed along one bank of the river, creating a sustainable leisure resource for the town.
lived in the catchment
for millennia.
Europe
ans arrived in the upper catchment area in 1834.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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...
. It was named by Major Mitchell in 1836 for Campaspe
Campaspe
Campaspe, the mistress of Alexander the Great and a prominent citizen of Larissa. She was painted by Apelles, who had the reputation in Antiquity for being the greatest of painters...
, a mistress of Alexander the Great.
The river was known as yalooka by the local aboriginal people of the Rochester
Rochester, Victoria
Rochester is a small town in country Victoria, Australia. It is located 180 km north of Melbourne with a mixture of rural and semi-rural communities on the northern Campaspe River, between Bendigo and the Murray River port of Echuca...
area.
Course
From its source in the foothills of the Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
, the river flows north and joins the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
.
Upper Catchment
The Campaspe River begins in the Wombat State ForestWombat State Forest
The Wombat State Forest is located west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, between Woodend and Daylesford, at the Great Dividing Range. The forest is approximately in size and sits upon Ordovician or Tertiary sediments...
northwest of Bullengarook
Bullengarook, Victoria
Bullengarook is a locality in Victoria, Australia. The locality is centred on Bacchus Marsh Road, from Gisborne towards Bacchus Marsh. Bullengarook is located in the Shire of Macedon Ranges Local Government Area. At the 2006 census, Bullengarook and the surrounding area had a population of...
and southwest of Macedon
Macedon, Victoria
Macedon is a town on the Calder Freeway between Melbourne and Bendigo in the Macedon Ranges in central Victoria, Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the Shire of Macedon Ranges, and is located at the foot of Mount Macedon, a peak to the north....
not far from Firth Park a local camping ground and historical area. it then flows west of the township of Woodend
Woodend, Victoria
Woodend is a small town in Victoria, Australia. The town is in the Shire of Macedon Ranges Local government area. It is bypassed to the east and north by the Calder Freeway and is located about halfway between Melbourne and Bendigo...
and then through the town of Kyneton
Kyneton, Victoria
Kyneton is a town on the Calder Highway in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria, Australia. The Calder Freeway bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. The town was named after the English village of Kineton, Warwickshire. The town has three main streets: Mollison Street, Piper Street and High Street...
. The Calder Highway
Calder Highway
Calder Highway is a Highway linking Ravenswood South in Victoria, to Mildura. North of the Victoria/New South Wales border, the highway continues north to Broken Hill, Tibooburra and the New South Wales/Queensland border as the Silver City Highway, under the standard national route shield as far...
crosses the river at this point.
Middle Catchment
The middle reaches of the river are dominated by Lake EppalockLake Eppalock
Lake Eppalock is a man-made lake located in North Central Victoria, Australia. It's situated on the Campaspe River between the city of Bendigo and the town of Heathcote and serves as a major water storage facility for both places...
, a constructed reservoir. The Coliban River
Coliban River
The Coliban River is a river in central Victoria, in Australia. It is a major water supply source for towns and cities in the region.-Course:...
, the most significant tributary of the Campaspe, also flows into Lake Eppalock.
Towns located on the river in this area include Redesdale
Redesdale, Victoria
Redesdale is a town in central Victoria, Australia., north west of the state capital, Melbourne. It is located partly in the City of Greater Bendigo Local Government Area and partly in the Shire of Mount Alexander...
located just above Eppalock and Axedale
Axedale, Victoria
Axedale is a small town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the McIvor Highway, in the City of Greater Bendigo, east of Bendigo. It was surveyed and proclaimed in 1861. At the 2006 census, Axedale had a population of 230....
, located just below Eppalock, where the McIvor Highway
McIvor Highway
McIvor Highway is a short Victorian highway linking Bendigo and Heathcote. Together with Hume Freeway and Northern Highway , it provides an alternative route between Melbourne and Bendigo. Previously assigned State Route 141, it was later designated B280...
crosses the river.
Lower Catchment
The towns of ElmoreElmore, Victoria
Elmore is a small town in Victoria north-east of Bendigo on the Campaspe River. Elmore is close to the Whipstick State Park.At the 2006 census, Elmore had a population of 694.-History:...
and Rochester
Rochester, Victoria
Rochester is a small town in country Victoria, Australia. It is located 180 km north of Melbourne with a mixture of rural and semi-rural communities on the northern Campaspe River, between Bendigo and the Murray River port of Echuca...
lie on the river's lower reaches. The Midland Highway and the Northern Highway cross the river at Elmore.
The river meets the Murray River near the town of Echuca
Echuca, Victoria
Echuca is a town located on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe river in Victoria, Australia. The Border town Moama is on the northern side of the Murray river in New South Wales. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Shire of Campaspe...
.
Kyneton area
After European settlement, native vegetation was removed from part of the area, which was replanted with willowWillow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
trees and hedgerows of hawthorn
Crataegus
Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
bushes, some of the latter remaining today.
Over a number of years the willow growth has been progressively cleared and eradicated by local groups of volunteers. The willow-free parts of the river have been subsequently replanted with indigenous species. Walking routes and cycle tracks have been installed along one bank of the river, creating a sustainable leisure resource for the town.
History
AboriginesIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
lived in the catchment
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
for millennia.
Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans arrived in the upper catchment area in 1834.