Flinders River
Encyclopedia
The Flinders River is the longest river in Queensland
, Australia
at about 1004 kilometres (623.9 mi). The river rises in the Burra Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, 110 km northeast of Hughenden
and flows in a westerly direction past Hughenden, Richmond
and Julia Creek
then northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria
25 km west of Karumba, Queensland
. The south of the catchment is bordered by the Selwyn Range
.
At 1,004 km in length it is the sixth longest river in Australia. The catchment covers 109,000 km². The primary land use in the catchment is grazing.
The principal tributaries are the Cloncurry River and the Corella River. Another major tributary of the Flinders River is Porcupine Creek. The creek has carved out a dramatic gorge which is located in the Porcupine Gorge National Park
. There are two dams on the river - the Flinders River Dam and Corella Dam
.
A large, flat claypain is located in the area where the Flinders, Gregory and Leichhardt Rivers enter the Gulf. The mouth of the river lies in the Gulf Plains Important Bird Area
.
The Flinders was named after the explorer Matthew Flinders
by John Lort Stokes
of the HMS Beagle
in 1841.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, 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...
at about 1004 kilometres (623.9 mi). The river rises in the Burra Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, 110 km northeast of Hughenden
Hughenden, Queensland
Hughenden is a town in Queensland, Australia situated on the banks of the Flinders River. It was named after Hughenden Manor, the home of former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. At the 2006 census, Hughenden had a population of 1,154.-History:...
and flows in a westerly direction past Hughenden, Richmond
Richmond, Queensland
Richmond is a town in western Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the Flinders Highway, 498 km west of Townsville and 406 km east of Mount Isa. It is the administrative centre of the Richmond Shire. At the 2006 census, Richmond had a population of 554.The Flinders River forms...
and Julia Creek
Julia Creek, Queensland
Julia Creek is a town in mid northern Queensland, located on the Overlander's Way, the main road between Mount Isa and Townsville. It is west of Townsville, and is located 123 m above sea level. At the 2006 census, Julia Creek had a population of 368....
then northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
25 km west of Karumba, Queensland
Karumba, Queensland
Karumba is a town in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia, 71 km by road from Normanton and 2159 km from the state capital, Brisbane. The settlement was previously known as Norman Mouth and Kimberely. Karumba was used by the local aborigines to describe the place...
. The south of the catchment is bordered by the Selwyn Range
Selwyn Range (Australia)
The Selwyn Range is a rugged mountain range near Mount Isa and Cloncurry in north-west Queensland, Australia, composed largely of Proterozoic metamorphic rocks...
.
At 1,004 km in length it is the sixth longest river in Australia. The catchment covers 109,000 km². The primary land use in the catchment is grazing.
The principal tributaries are the Cloncurry River and the Corella River. Another major tributary of the Flinders River is Porcupine Creek. The creek has carved out a dramatic gorge which is located in the Porcupine Gorge National Park
Porcupine Gorge National Park
Porcupine Gorge is a national park in Queensland , 1174 km northwest of Brisbane and 60 km north of Hughenden. Established in 1970, Porcupine Gorge has an area of 54.10 km²and is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service...
. There are two dams on the river - the Flinders River Dam and Corella Dam
Corella Dam
Lake Corella was constructed in 1959 for town water for Mary Kathleen Uranium Mine. When full it has a surface area of 320 hectares and holds 15,300 ML of water at an average depth of 4.8 meters, however a hole in the dam wall prevents this dam ever being full.-See also:*List of dams and...
.
A large, flat claypain is located in the area where the Flinders, Gregory and Leichhardt Rivers enter the Gulf. The mouth of the river lies in the Gulf Plains Important Bird Area
Gulf Plains Important Bird Area
The Gulf Plains Important Bird Area comprises 8868 km2 of the low-lying coastal plains bordering the south-eastern corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria in north-west Queensland, Australia...
.
The Flinders was named after the explorer Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
by John Lort Stokes
John Lort Stokes
Admiral John Lort Stokes, RN was an officer in the Royal Navy who travelled on HMS Beagle for close to eighteen years.Stokes grew up in Scotchwell near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. He joined the Navy on 20 September 1824...
of the HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames, at a cost of £7,803. In July of that year she took part in a fleet review celebrating the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom in which...
in 1841.