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Murrumbidgee
The Murrumbidgee at Gundagai
The Murrumbidgee at Gundagai
Origin Australian Alps at
35°39′47″S 149°08′00″E / -35.66306, 149.133333[1]
Mouth confluence with the Murray River
Length 1,400 km (870 mi)
Source elevation 1,600 m (5,200 ft)
Basin area 80,000 km² (31,000 sq mi)
The Murrumbidgee is a major tributary of the Murray River
The Murrumbidgee is a major tributary of the Murray River

The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory. Gundagai The Australian Alps are the highest Mountain ranges of mainland Australia. The Murray River, or River Murray and sometimes informally referred to as the "Mighty Murray" is Australia 's largest River. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. } The Australian Capital Territory (ACT is the Capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory It is a major tributary of the Murray River. A tributary is a Stream or River which flows into a mainstem (or parent river The Murray River, or River Murray and sometimes informally referred to as the "Mighty Murray" is Australia 's largest River.

The word Murrumbidgee means "big water" or possibly "track goes down here" or "a very good place" in the Wiradjuri language, the local Aboriginal language. Wiradjuri (many other spellings see Wiradjuri) is a Pama-Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. [1][2] The name was sometimes spelled Morumbidgee in the nineteenth century. [3]

Contents

Flow

Seasonally, this river system used to have large flows but now that it is a regulated stream, flows are only high when releases are made from upstream storages to supply downstream irrigators.

The reaches of the Murrumbidgee in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are now affected by the complete elimination of large spring snow melt flows and a reduction of average annual flows of almost 50%, due to Tantangara Dam. } The Australian Capital Territory (ACT is the Capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory Tantangara Reservoir (also known as Tantangara Dam) is a Dam constructed as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme in New South Wales, Australia Tantangara Dam was completed in 1960 on the headwaters of Murrumbidgee River and diverts approximately 99% of the river's flow at that point into Lake Eucumbene. Lake Eucumbene (pronounced you-come-been) is a man-made Lake on the Eucumbene River in the Snowy Mountains of Southern New South Wales in [4] This had extremely serious affects on native fish populations and other native aquatic life and has led to serious habitat loss. It is said that the Murrumbidgee River through the ACT is only half the river it used to be. [5].

The mainstream of the river system flows for 900 kilometres (559 mi). The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States [6] The river's source in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains, part of the Australian Alps near Mount Kosciuszko and it flows to a confluence with the Murray River. For the Snowy Mountains of Wyoming USA see Medicine Bow Mountains. The Australian Alps are the highest Mountain ranges of mainland Australia. Mount Kosciuszko is a Mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park. The Murray River, or River Murray and sometimes informally referred to as the "Mighty Murray" is Australia 's largest River. For 66 km (41 mi), the river flows through the Australian Capital Territory near Canberra,[7] picking up the important tributaries of the Molonglo and Cotter Rivers. } The Australian Capital Territory (ACT is the Capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City. The Molonglo River rises on the western side of the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia in the state of New South Wales. The The Murrumbidgee drains much of southern New South Wales and all of the Australian Capital Territory, and is an important source of irrigation water for the Riverina farming area. } The Australian Capital Territory (ACT is the Capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales (NSW Australia

The river system's current channels are relatively new with the Upper Murrumbidgee being an anabranch of the Tumut River (that once continued north along Mutta Mutta Creek) when geological uplift near Adaminaby diverted its flow. The Tumut River is a river in New South Wales, Australia. The Tumut River rises on the northern face of Mount Jagungal in the Snowy Mountains Adaminaby ( is a small town near the Snowy Mountains located north-west of Cooma, New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy River Shire The contemporary Murrumbidgee starts at Gundagai but generally the stream that now includes the Upper Murrumbidgee is described as being part of the full river. Gundagai [8]

Exploration

The Murrumbidgee River was known to Europeans before it was actually discovered by them.   In 1820 the explorer Charles Throsby informed the Governor of New South Wales that he anticipated finding "a considerable river of salt water (except at very wet seasons), called by the natives Mur-rum-big-gee". Charles Throsby (1771 - 1828 was an Australian explorer who opened up much new land beyond the Blue Mountains. Throsby reached the river in April 1821. [9]

In 1823, Brigade-Major John Ovens and Captain Mark Currie came to the upper Murrumbidgee when exploring south of Lake George. See also 1822 in Australia, other events of 1823, 1824 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history. Captain Mark John Currie RN (later Vice-Admiral played a significant role in the exploration of Australia and the foundation of the Swan River Colony, later named Lake George (or' Weerewaa' in the indigenous language is a Lake in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia about 30 minutes drive north-east [10]. In 1829, Charles Sturt and his party rowed and sailed down the length of the river from Narrandera to the Murray, and then down the Murray to the sea. See also 1828 in Australia, other events of 1829, 1830 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history. Captain Charles Napier Sturt (28 April 1795 – 16 June 1869 was an English explorer of Australia, part of the European Exploration of Australia They also rowed, sailing when possible, back up against the current. [11] The Murrumbidgee basin was opened to settlement in the 1830s and soon became an important farming area.

Charles Sturt Monument located at Wagga Beach in Wagga Wagga
Charles Sturt Monument located at Wagga Beach in Wagga Wagga

Ernest Favenc, when writing on Australian exploration, commented on the relatively tardy European discovery of the river and that the river retained a name used by Indigenous Australians:

Here we may remark on the tenacity with which the Murrumbidgee River long eluded the eye of the white man. Wagga Wagga Ernest Favenc ( 21 October 1845 – 14 November 1908) was an explorer of Australia, a journalist and historian Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. It is scarcely probable that Meehan and Hume, who on this occasion were within comparatively easy reach of the head waters, could have seen a new inland river at that time without mentioning the fact, but there is no record traceable anywhere as to the date of its discovery, or the name of its finder. When in 1823 Captain Currie and Major Ovens were led along its bank on to the beautiful Maneroo country by Joseph Wild, the stream was then familiar to the early settlers and called the Morumbidgee. Even in 1821, when Hume found the Yass Plains, almost on its bank, he makes no special mention of the river. From all this we may deduce the extremely probable fact that the position of the river was shown to some stockrider by a native, who also confided the aboriginal name, and so it gradually worked the knowledge of its identity into general belief. This theory is the more feasible as the river has retained its native name. If a white man of any known position had made the discovery, it would at once have received the name of some person holding official sway. [12]

Floods

Flood marker on the Murrumbidgee River showing the height of the 1974 floods
Flood marker on the Murrumbidgee River showing the height of the 1974 floods

The most notable flood was in 1852 when the town of Gundagai was swept away and 89 people, a third of the town's population was killed. See also 1851 in Australia, other events of 1852, 1853 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history. Gundagai The town was rebuilt on higher ground. [13]

In 1925, four people died and the flooding lasted for eight days. See also 1924 in Australia, other events of 1925, 1926 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history. [14]

The river has risen above 7 metres (23 ft) at Gundagai eight times between 1852 and 2002, an average of just under once every eleven years. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Since 1925, flooding has been minor with the exception of floods in 1974. See also 1973 in Australia, other events of 1974, 1975 in Australia and the Timeline of Australian history. In the 1852 disaster, the river rose to just over 12. 2 m (40 ft). The following year the river again rose to just over 12. 5 m (41 ft). The construction of Burrinjuck Dam from 1907 has significantly reduced flooding but, despite the dam, there were major floods in 1925 and 1974. Burrinjuck Dam is a high concrete gravity dam on the Murrumbidgee River near Yass, New South Wales, Australia. See also 1906 in Australia, Other events of 1907, 1908 in Australia, Timeline of Australian history. [15]

The reduction in floods has consequences for wildlife, birds and trees. There has been a decline in bird populations and black box flood plain eucalypt forest trees are starting to lose their crowns. Eucalyptus largiflorens, or Black Box, is a species of Eucalyptus which is endemic to Australia. [16]

Wetlands

Major wetlands along the Murrumbidgee or associated with the Murrumbidgee catchment include:[17]

Major tributaries

Bridge over the Murrumbidgee at Carrathool, New South Wales.
Bridge over the Murrumbidgee at Carrathool, New South Wales. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Carrathool is a village in the western Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, located in the Carrathool Shire.

Population centres

River crossings

The list below notes past and present bridges that cross over the Murrumbidgee River. The Gudgenby River is a river in the Australian Capital Territory that flows predominantly through the forests of the Namadgi National Park. The Naas River rises in the southern ranges of the Australian Capital Territory within Namadgi National Park. The Molonglo River rises on the western side of the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia in the state of New South Wales. The Queanbeyan River joins the Molonglo River at Oaks Estate just within the Australian Capital Territory. The The Tumut River is a river in New South Wales, Australia. The Tumut River rises on the northern face of Mount Jagungal in the Snowy Mountains The Yass River is a river in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Lachlan River is a significant River in central New South Wales, Australia. The Abercrombie River is a river in New South Wales, Australia. For other meanings including organizations named `Tharwa' see Tharwa (disambiguation. Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City. Tuggeranong is the southernmost town centre of Canberra, the Capital city of Australia. Jugiong is a village community on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, in the central east part of the Riverina. Gundagai Wantabadgery is a village community in the central eastern part of the Riverina and situated about 35 kilometres east from Wagga Wagga and 19 kilometres Wagga Wagga Narrandera is a town and Local Government Area (see Narrandera Shire Council) in southern New South Wales, Australia. Yanco is a small town in Leeton Shire in South Western New South Wales, Australia. Leeton is a town and Local Government Area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Darlington Point is a small Town on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River in the Riverina district of western New South Wales, Australia. Hay is a town in the western Riverina region of south western New South Wales (NSW Australia. Balranald is a town and local government area (see Balranald Shire Council) in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia There were numerous other crossings before the bridges were constructed and many of these still exist today.

Tharwa Bridge looking South; Tharwa, ACT is to the right

Junction with Cotter, in moderate flood

The Prince Alfred bridge crosses the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai, photographed c. Tharwa Bridge is a four span Allan truss bridge which provides a high-level crossing point across the Murrumbidgee River, allowing traffic between Canberra and The Uriarra is a settlement in the Australian Capital Territory. It had been a forestry settlement from the 1920s to the 1980s Wee Jasper is a village of about 80 people in the Goodradigbee valley at the western foot of the Brindabella Ranges, near Burrinjuck Dam in New South Jugiong is a village community on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, in the central east part of the Riverina. Gobarralong is a rural community in the central east part of the Riverina. Gundagai Murrumbidgee River Rail Bridge is located over the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga New South Wales. Hampden Bridge is a wooden Allan Truss bridge over the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga New South Wales which opened to traffic on 11 November Yanco is a small town in Leeton Shire in South Western New South Wales, Australia. Carrathool is a village in the western Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, located in the Carrathool Shire. The Bascule Bridge is a paved one-lane highway bridge in Westport, Massachusetts, USA. Hay is a town in the western Riverina region of south western New South Wales (NSW Australia. Balranald is a town and local government area (see Balranald Shire Council) in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia } The Australian Capital Territory (ACT is the Capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory 1885

Former Wagga Wagga railway bridge

New concrete railway bridge at Wagga Wagga

Hampden Bridge at Wagga Wagga

Wiradjuri Bridge

Gobbagombalin (Gobba) Bridge

Distances along the river

References

  1. ^ a b Geographical Names Register Extract: Murrumbidgee River. Gundagai Wagga Wagga Grong Grong is a small town in New South Wales, Australia on the Newell Highway, 23 kilometres east of Narrandera in Narrandera Shire Narrandera is a town and Local Government Area (see Narrandera Shire Council) in southern New South Wales, Australia. Yanco is a small town in Leeton Shire in South Western New South Wales, Australia. Illilliwa is a locality in the central part of the Riverina, in New South Wales, Australia. Hay is a town in the western Riverina region of south western New South Wales (NSW Australia. Maude is a village on the north bank of the Murrumbidgee River in New South Wales, Australia. Balranald is a town and local government area (see Balranald Shire Council) in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. The Geographical Names Board of New South Wales was established in 1966 as the official body for naming and recording details of Places and Geographical Retrieved on 2008-06-08. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable
  2. ^ About Wagga Wagga - Murrumbidgee River & Floods. Wagga Wagga City Council. Retrieved on 2006-07-13. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to ; and A History of Australia, Macmillan Education Australia, © Stephen Gard 2000, MacquarieNet 2002 (online edition) retrieved through the ACT Public Library Service and accessible only to subscribers.
  3. ^ A source book of Australian history, by Gwendolen H. Swinburne
  4. ^ Lintermans, Mark. The re-establishment of endangered Macquarie perch Macquaria australasica in the Queanbeyan River,New South Wales,with an examination of dietary overlap with alien trout (pdf). Environment ACT and Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology. Retrieved on 2008-06-08. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable
  5. ^ Lintermans, M. (2000) The Status of Fish in the Australian Capital Territory : A Review of Current Knowledge and Management Requirements. Technical Report No. 15. Environment ACT, Canberra
  6. ^ Murrumbidgee River Catchment. Catchment Case Studies. NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (1995). Retrieved on 2006-07-13. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to
  7. ^ Interim recreation study for the natural areas of the ACT (PDF). ACT Government (April 2004). Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly (or more formally and fully the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory is the Unicameral legislature 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September Retrieved on 2008-06-08. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable
  8. ^ Sharp, K. R. Cenzoic volcanism, tectonism, and stream derangement in the Snowy Mountains and northern Monaro of New South Wales, in Australian Journal of Earth Sciences(2004)51,67-83
  9. ^ Reed, A. W. , Place-names of New South Wales: Their Origins and Meanings, (Reed: 1969).
  10. ^ Discovery of the Manaro
  11. ^ Sturt, Charles [1833] (2004). Captain Charles Napier Sturt (28 April 1795 – 16 June 1869 was an English explorer of Australia, part of the European Exploration of Australia Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia (txt), Project Gutenberg EBook. Retrieved on 2006-08-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert.  
  12. ^ Favenc, Ernest [1908] (2004). Ernest Favenc ( 21 October 1845 – 14 November 1908) was an explorer of Australia, a journalist and historian "Chapter 4", The Explorers of Australia and their Life-work (txt), Project Gutenberg EBook. Retrieved on 2006-08-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert.  
  13. ^ Historic emegencies in NSW, Emergency NSW database
  14. ^ Australian Government Emergency Management database
  15. ^ Butcher, Cliff (2002). "Chapter 9 Floods", Gundagai: A track winding back. Gundagai, NSW, Australia: A. C. Butcher, pages 84 - 98. ISBN 0-9586200-0-8.  
  16. ^ ABC television transcript: Report warns of damage to Murrumbidgee River from 2001 7:30 Report program
  17. ^ NSW Separtment of Natural Resources Murrumbidgee Region
  18. ^ Heaton, J. H. ,1984, The Bedside Book of Colonial Doings, Published in 1879 as 'Australian Dictionary of Dates' containing the History of Australasia from 1542 to May, 1879, Angus & Robertson Publishers Sydney, pp. 215-216

External links

Coordinates: 34°43′S 143°12′E / -34.717, 143.2

A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.
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