Gascoyne River
Encyclopedia
At 760 km, the Gascoyne River is the longest river in Western Australia
.
The river rises below Wilgoona Hill in the Robinson Ranges west of the Gibson Desert
and it flows into Shark Bay
and the Indian Ocean
at Carnarvon
.
It is joined by the 561 kilometres (349 mi) long Lyons River
about 160 kilometres (99 mi) above its mouth which together provide a catchment area of 68326 square kilometres (26,381 sq mi). This area lies entirely to the east of the Kennedy Ranges
and extends some 480 kilometres (298 mi) inland.
The river is made up of three branches:
The Gascoyne has 36 tributaries
including Landor River
, Thomas River
, Thirty one River, Coodewa Creek, Nanular Creek, Cream Creek, Moorayana Creek, Shay Creek, Turner Creek and Jacobs Gully.
It is said to be an upside-down river, as it flows for about 120 days of the year and below the dry river bed for the remainder of the year. It is in effect a huge water storage system with the river's aquifer
s lying below the desert sands.
It flows through sparsely vegetated countryside which is used mainly for gold-mining and sheep stations.
The river flows through many permanent pools that are valuable to both stock and native species. Some of the main pools located along the river include Tibbingoona Pool, Mutherbokin Pool and Mibbley Pool.
The river was named by the explorer Lieutenant George Grey
who discovered the river in 1839 and named it "after my friend, Captain J. Gascoyne" (RN).
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 below Wilgoona Hill in the Robinson Ranges west of the Gibson Desert
Gibson Desert
The Gibson Desert covers a large dry area in the state of Western Australia and is still largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the 5th largest desert in Australia, after the Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Tanami and Simpson deserts.-Location and description:The Gibson...
and it flows into Shark Bay
Shark Bay
Shark Bay is a World Heritage listed bay in Western Australia. The term may also refer to:* the locality of Shark Bay, now known as Denham* Shark Bay Marine Park* Shark Bay , a shark exhibit at Sea World, Gold Coast, Australia* Shire of Shark Bay...
and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
at Carnarvon
Carnarvon, Western Australia
Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Reef lies to the north...
.
It is joined by the 561 kilometres (349 mi) long Lyons River
Lyons River
The Lyons River is a river in the Gascoyne of Western Australia.The headwaters of the Lyons rise just west of the Teano Range and flows South West until it merges with the Gascoyne River of which it is a tributary...
about 160 kilometres (99 mi) above its mouth which together provide a catchment area of 68326 square kilometres (26,381 sq mi). This area lies entirely to the east of the Kennedy Ranges
Kennedy Range National Park
Kennedy Range National Park is a national park in Gascoyne region of Western Australia , approximately north of Perth and about east of Carnarvon....
and extends some 480 kilometres (298 mi) inland.
The river is made up of three branches:
- The Gascoyne River Middle, is the middle 15 kilometres (9 mi) branch.
- The Gascoyne River North, is the Northern 125 kilometres (78 mi) branch, which rises near the Collier Range.
- The Gascoyne River Middle, is the Southern 15 kilometres (9 mi) branch, which rises near the Doolgunna homestead.
The Gascoyne has 36 tributaries
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...
including Landor River
Landor River
The Landor River is a river in the Gascoyne of Western Australia.The headwaters of the Landor rise north of Mount Erong and flows North until it merges with the Gascoyne River of which it is a tributary. The junction of the two rivers is close to the Landor Station homestead.The first European to...
, Thomas River
Thomas River
The Thomas River is a river in the Gascoyne of Western Australia.The headwaters of the Landor rise South of Double Peak and flows West until it merges with the Gascoyne River of which it is a tributary...
, Thirty one River, Coodewa Creek, Nanular Creek, Cream Creek, Moorayana Creek, Shay Creek, Turner Creek and Jacobs Gully.
It is said to be an upside-down river, as it flows for about 120 days of the year and below the dry river bed for the remainder of the year. It is in effect a huge water storage system with the river's aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
s lying below the desert sands.
It flows through sparsely vegetated countryside which is used mainly for gold-mining and sheep stations.
The river flows through many permanent pools that are valuable to both stock and native species. Some of the main pools located along the river include Tibbingoona Pool, Mutherbokin Pool and Mibbley Pool.
The river was named by the explorer Lieutenant George Grey
George Edward Grey
Sir George Grey, KCB was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony , the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer.-Early life and exploration:...
who discovered the river in 1839 and named it "after my friend, Captain J. Gascoyne" (RN).