Fraser River (Western Australia)
Encyclopedia
The Fraser River is a river
in the Kimberley of Western Australia
.
The river rises northwest of Mount Jowlaenger and flows in an easterly direction passing through some permanent pools such as Ungalete Pool and Lowangun Pool before discharging into King Sound
.
The only tributary
of the Fraser is Bungarragut Creek.
The first Europe
an to discover the river was the explorer Alexander Forrest
in 1879. Forrest named the river after Malcolm Fraser
, who was the Commissioner of Crown Lands
at the time.
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 the Kimberley of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The river rises northwest of Mount Jowlaenger and flows in an easterly direction passing through some permanent pools such as Ungalete Pool and Lowangun Pool before discharging into King Sound
King Sound
King Sound is a large gulf in northern Western Australia. It expands from the mouth of the Fitzroy River, one of Australia's largest watercourses, and opens to the Indian Ocean. It is about 120 km long, and averages about 50 km in width. The port town of Derby lies near the mouth of the...
.
The only 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 Fraser is Bungarragut Creek.
The first 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...
an to discover the river was the explorer Alexander Forrest
Alexander Forrest
Alexander Forrest CMG, was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia, as well as a politician.-Early life:Forrest was born at Picton, near Bunbury in Western Australia, the son of William and Margaret Forrest...
in 1879. Forrest named the river after Malcolm Fraser
Malcolm Fraser (surveyor)
Sir Malcolm Fraser KCMG was a powerful public servant in colonial Western Australia in the 1870s and 1880s.Malcolm Fraser was born in Gloucestershire, England in 1834. Nothing is known of his early life, except that he must have qualified as a surveyor at some stage, and that he emigrated to New...
, who was the Commissioner of Crown Lands
Commissioner of Crown Lands (Australia)
The Commissioner of Crown Lands was a government official who was appointed to administer crown land in the various Australian colonies....
at the time.