Darling River Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Darling River
Aerial view of the Darling River near Menindee
Country	Australia
Physical characteristics
Main source	Brewarrina
River mouth	joins the Murray River at Wentworth
Length	2,739 km (1,701 mi)

The Darling River is Australia's longest river. It is a very important part of the Murray-Darling river system. This system is one of the biggest in the world! The Darling River helps drain water from a huge area. This includes western New South Wales, northern Victoria, southern Queensland, and parts of South Australia.

Discovering the Darling River
- Early Explorations
- Naming the River
Life of the River
- River Flow and Floods
- River Transport in the Past
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Discovering the Darling River

The Darling River was first explored by Europeans in the 1800s.

Early Explorations

In 1828, an explorer named Charles Sturt was sent on a mission. The Governor of New South Wales, Sir Ralph Darling, asked him to find where the Macquarie River went. Sturt explored the Bogan River first.

Naming the River

In 1829, Charles Sturt found a new river. He decided to name it the Darling River. He named it after Governor Darling. Later, in 1835, another explorer named Major Thomas Mitchell traveled along the entire length of the Darling River.

Life of the River

The Darling River flows through very dry parts of Australia. This means its water level can change a lot.

River Flow and Floods

The Darling River does not always have the same amount of water. Sometimes it can dry up completely. Other times, after heavy rains, it can flood.

River Transport in the Past

In the 1860s, the Darling River was like a highway. Farmers in western New South Wales used it to send their wool to market. They loaded the wool onto paddle steamers. These boats traveled from towns like Bourke and Wilcannia. The wool went all the way to South Australia. There, it was put onto trains at places like Morgan and Murray Bridge.