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List of rivers of Australia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Australia River systems Named
Major rivers of Australia

Australia is a huge continent with many rivers flowing across its landscapes. Some of these rivers are very long and important for the environment and people. Rivers are listed here by state, but remember that some rivers flow through more than one state!

Australia's Longest Rivers

Murray howlong
A branch of the Murray River, near Howlong, New South Wales.

Australia has some incredibly long rivers. Here are the top seven longest rivers in the country, measured in 2008. The longest river is the Murray River, which is over 2,300 kilometers long!

Longest rivers in Australia by length (September 2008)
Order River name System Length
km miles
1 Murray River Murray-Darling 2,375 1,476
2 Murrumbidgee River Murray-Darling 1,485 923
3 Darling River Murray-Darling 1,472 915
4 Lachlan River Murray-Darling 1,448 900
5 Warrego River Murray-Darling 1,380 857
6 Cooper Creek Lake Eyre 1,300 808
7 Paroo River Murray-Darling 1,210 752

Longest River in Each State or Territory

Each state and territory in Australia has its own longest river. Even though the Murray River forms part of the border between New South Wales and Victoria, it's not Victoria's longest river. This is because the border is usually along the river's southern bank, not the middle. Only a small part of the Murray River (about 11 km or 7 miles) is officially within Victoria, where it separates Victoria and South Australia.

Longest rivers in each state or territory (December 2012)
State/territory River name Length
km miles
Australian Capital Territory Murrumbidgee River 59 37
New South Wales Murray River 1,808 1,123
Northern Territory Victoria River 510 317
Queensland Flinders River 1,004 624
South Australia Murray River 700 435
Tasmania South Esk River 245 152
Victoria Goulburn River 654 406
Western Australia Gascoyne River 834 518

Rivers by State or Territory

This section lists many rivers found in each Australian state and territory. If a river flows through more than one state, it will be listed in each state it crosses. Sometimes, a watercourse might be called a "creek" but is officially known as a river.

Australian Capital Territory Rivers

New South Wales Rivers

New South Wales has many rivers. The Geographical Names Board of New South Wales lists 439 rivers! If two rivers have the same name, their location (Local Government Area or LGA) helps tell them apart. Some watercourses are called "creeks" or "rivulets" but are still important.

Northern Territory Rivers

Queensland Rivers

South Australia Rivers

Onkaparinga Estuary 2
The Onkaparinga River estuary
Patawalonga River and marina
The Patawalonga River near its mouth
Port Adelaide aerial view
Aerial view of the Port River estuary

Tasmania Rivers

  • Adams
  • Andrew
  • Anne
  • Anthony
  • Apsley
  • Arm
  • Arthur
  • Arve
  • Badger
  • Black
  • Black Bobs
  • Blackman
  • Blythe
  • Boyd
  • Break O'Day
  • Bream
  • Broad
  • Browns
  • Cam
  • Cascade
  • Clyde
  • Coal
  • Cockle
  • Collingwood
  • Craycroft
  • Crayfish
  • Davey
  • Dee
  • Denison
  • Derwent
  • Don
  • Donaldson
  • Dover
  • Duck
  • Elizabeth
  • Emu
  • Esperance
  • Florentine
  • Flowerdale
  • Forth
  • Franklin
  • Gordon
  • Great Forester
  • Hellyer
  • Henty
  • Hobart
  • Holley
  • Huon
  • Inglis
  • Isis
  • James
  • Jane
  • Jordan
  • King
  • Lea
  • Leven
  • Liffey
  • Little Swanport
  • Lune
  • Mackintosh
  • Macquarie
  • Meander
  • Mersey
  • Murchison
  • Nile
  • Nive
  • North Esk
  • Ouse
  • Picton
  • Pieman
  • Pipers
  • Pokana
  • Queen
  • Ringarooma
  • Ringarooma (Lower)
  • Rubicon
  • Savage
  • Serpentine
  • Shannon
  • Sophia
  • South Esk
  • Spero
  • Styx
  • Swan
  • Tamar
  • Tooms
  • Tully
  • Tyne
  • Vale
  • Weld
  • Wye
  • Yolande

Victoria Rivers

Western Australia Rivers

  • Abba
  • Adcock
  • Alexander
  • Angelo
  • Angove
  • Armanda
  • Arrowsmith
  • Arthur
  • Ashburton
  • Avon
  • Balgarup
  • Balla Balla
  • Bannister
  • Barker
  • Barnett
  • Barton
  • Beasley
  • Beaufort
  • Behn
  • Berckelman
  • Berkeley
  • Blackwood
  • Bow (southern Western Australia)
  • Bow (northern Western Australia)
  • Bowes
  • Bremer
  • Brockman
  • Brunswick
  • Buayanyup
  • Buchanan
  • Buller
  • Calder
  • Cane
  • Canning
  • Capel
  • Carbunup
  • Carson
  • Chamberlain
  • Chapman
  • Charnley
  • Collie
  • Coongan
  • Dale
  • Dalyup
  • Dandalup
  • De Grey
  • Deep
  • Denmark
  • Donnelly
  • Drysdale
  • Dunham
  • Durack
  • Edmund
  • Elvire
  • Ernest
  • Eyre
  • Ferguson
  • Fitzgerald
  • Fitzroy
  • Forrest
  • Fortescue
  • Frankland
  • Fraser
  • Frederick
  • Gairdner (southern Western Australia)
  • Gairdner (northern Western Australia)
  • Gascoyne
  • Gibb
  • Glenelg
  • Goodga
  • Gordon
  • Greenough
  • Hamersley
  • Hann
  • Hardey
  • Harding
  • Harvey
  • Hay
  • Helena
  • Henry
  • Hill
  • Hope
  • Hotham
  • Hunter
  • Hutt
  • Impey
  • Irwin
  • Isdell
  • Jerdacuttup
  • Johnston
  • Kalgan
  • Kent
  • King Edward
  • King George
  • King (northern Western Australia)
  • King (southern Western Australia)
  • Landor
  • Laur
  • Lockhart
  • Lennard
  • Lort
  • Ludlow
  • Lyons
  • Mackie
  • Maitland
  • Margaret (northern Western Australia)
  • Margaret (southern Western Australia)
  • Mary
  • May
  • McRae
  • Meda
  • Minilya
  • Mitchell
  • Moore
  • Mortlock
  • Munglinup
  • Murchison
  • Murray
  • Nambung
  • Negri
  • Nicholson
  • Nullagine
  • Oakover
  • Oldfield
  • Ord
  • Pallinup
  • Panton
  • Pentecost
  • Phillips
  • Preston
  • Prince Regent
  • Richenda
  • Robe
  • Robinson
  • Roe
  • Rudall
  • Sabina
  • Sale
  • Salt
  • Serpentine
  • Shannon
  • Shaw
  • Sherlock
  • South Dandalup
  • Steere
  • Swan
  • Thomas
  • Tone
  • Turner
  • Vasse
  • Walpole
  • Warren
  • Waychinicup
  • Weld
  • Williams
  • Wilson
  • Wooramel
  • Yalgar
  • Young
  • Yule

Major Rivers by Drainage Basin

Rivers flow into larger areas called drainage basins. These basins collect water from rain and snow and direct it towards a main river or a large lake. Here are some of Australia's most important rivers grouped by their drainage basin. The table shows their length, the size of the area they drain, and how much water flows through them on average.

River Length Drainage area Average discharge
I. North East Coast (NEC)
Annan 66 km (41 mi) 939.7 km2 (362.8 sq mi) 31.1 m3/s (980 GL/a)
Baffle Creek 2,541.2 km2 (981.2 sq mi) 11.4 m3/s (360 GL/a)
Barron 165 km (103 mi) 2,138 km2 (825 sq mi) 34.6 m3/s (1,090 GL/a)
Brisbane 344 km (214 mi) 13,652.3 km2 (5,271.2 sq mi) 56.5 m3/s (1,780 GL/a)
Burdekin 886 km (551 mi) 130,108.3 km2 (50,235.1 sq mi) 394 m3/s (12,400 GL/a)
Burnett 435 km (270 mi) 33,267.2 km2 (12,844.5 sq mi) 78 m3/s (2,500 GL/a)
Daintree 140 km (87 mi) 1,303.5 km2 (503.3 sq mi) 66.3 m3/s (2,090 GL/a)
Fitzroy 480 km (300 mi) 142,839.6 km2 (55,150.7 sq mi) 170 m3/s (5,400 GL/a)
Herbert 288 km (179 mi) 10,130 km2 (3,910 sq mi) 137 m3/s (4,300 GL/a)
Johnstone 200 km (120 mi) 1,642.5 km2 (634.2 sq mi) 112.1 m3/s (3,540 GL/a)
Logan 184 km (114 mi) 3,841.8 km2 (1,483.3 sq mi) 31.7 m3/s (1,000 GL/a)
Mary 291 km (181 mi) 9,019.7 km2 (3,482.5 sq mi) 64.9 m3/s (2,050 GL/a)
Mulgrave 70 km (43 mi) 1,390.9 km2 (537.0 sq mi) 101.1 m3/s (3,190 GL/a)
Normanby 350 km (220 mi) 24,429.1 km2 (9,432.1 sq mi) 451.6 m3/s (14,250 GL/a)
Pioneer 120 km (75 mi) 1,550 km2 (600 sq mi) 31 m3/s (980 GL/a)
Tully 133 km (83 mi) 1,508.5 km2 (582.4 sq mi) 84.5 m3/s (2,670 GL/a)
The North East Coast basin total 450,705 km2 (174,018 sq mi) 2,900 m3/s (92,000 GL/a)
II. South East Coast (NSW)

South East Coast (SEV)
III. South Australian Gulf (SAG)
IV. South West Coast (SWC)
V. Pilbara–Gascoyne (PG)

(Indian Ocean)
VI. Tanami–Timor Sea Coast (TTS)
Adelaide 238 km (148 mi) 7,430 km2 (2,870 sq mi) 60 m3/s (1,900 GL/a)
Daly 682 km (424 mi) 53,708 km2 (20,737 sq mi) 376 m3/s (11,900 GL/a)
Drysdale 432 km (268 mi) 15,722.5 km2 (6,070.5 sq mi) 34.2 m3/s (1,080 GL/a)
East Alligator 160 km (99 mi) 15,876 km2 (6,130 sq mi) 218 m3/s (6,900 GL/a)
Mardoowarra Fitzroy 733 km (455 mi) 95,694.5 km2 (36,947.9 sq mi) 210 m3/s (6,600 GL/a)
Liverpool 138 km (86 mi) 8,480 km2 (3,270 sq mi) 135 m3/s (4,300 GL/a)
Mary 225 km (140 mi) 7,413.8 km2 (2,862.5 sq mi) 76.1 m3/s (2,400 GL/a)
Ord 651 km (405 mi) 55,385 km2 (21,384 sq mi) 150 m3/s (4,700 GL/a)
Roper 599 km (372 mi) 81,794 km2 (31,581 sq mi) 176 m3/s (5,600 GL/a)
South Alligator 160 km (99 mi) 11,917 km2 (4,601 sq mi) 182 m3/s (5,700 GL/a)
Victoria 560 km (350 mi) 99,412.5 km2 (38,383.4 sq mi) 159 m3/s (5,000 GL/a)
The Tanami–Timor Sea Coast basin total 1,162,000 km2 (449,000 sq mi) 2,640 m3/s (83,000 GL/a)
VII. Carpentaria Coast (CC)
Archer 268 km (167 mi) 13,848 km2 (5,347 sq mi) 235.3 m3/s (7,430 GL/a)
Flinders 1,004 km (624 mi) 109,715 km2 (42,361 sq mi) 122.2 m3/s (3,860 GL/a)
Gilbert 887 km (551 mi) 46,412 km2 (17,920 sq mi) 171.3 m3/s (5,410 GL/a)
Leichhardt 630 km (390 mi) 33,287 km2 (12,852 sq mi) 69 m3/s (2,200 GL/a)
Limmen Bight 514 km (319 mi) 15,938 km2 (6,154 sq mi) 36.6 m3/s (1,160 GL/a)
McArthur 521 km (324 mi) 19,597 km2 (7,566 sq mi) 45 m3/s (1,400 GL/a)
Mitchell 750 km (470 mi) 71,757 km2 (27,706 sq mi) 727.3 m3/s (22,950 GL/a)
Nicholson 725 km (450 mi) 53,200 km2 (20,500 sq mi) 103.3 m3/s (3,260 GL/a)
Norman 679 km (422 mi) 50,445 km2 (19,477 sq mi) 74.3 m3/s (2,340 GL/a)
Staaten 383 km (238 mi) 25,732 km2 (9,935 sq mi) 217.1 m3/s (6,850 GL/a)
Wenlock 322 km (200 mi) 7,460 km2 (2,880 sq mi) 126.7 m3/s (4,000 GL/a)
The Carpentaria Coast basin total 641,000 km2 (247,000 sq mi) 3,029.9 m3/s (95,620 GL/a)
VIII. Tasmania (TAS)
IX. Murray–Darling Basin (MDB)
Murray 2,508 km (1,558 mi) 1,061,469 km2 (409,835 sq mi) 459.3 m3/s (14,490 GL/a)
The Murray–Darling basin total 1,061,469 km2 (409,835 sq mi) 459.3 m3/s (14,490 GL/a)
X. Lake Eyre Basin

Bulloo–Bancannia
Lake Eyre Basin
Cooper Creek 1,420 km (880 mi) 297,950 km2 (115,040 sq mi) 35.7 m3/s (1,130 GL/a)
Finke–Macumba 750 km (470 mi) 101,490 km2 (39,190 sq mi) 6.5 m3/s (210 GL/a)
Warburton–Georgina–Diamantina 1,400 km (870 mi) 408,005 km2 (157,532 sq mi) 60.2 m3/s (1,900 GL/a)
Bulloo–Bancannia Basin
Bulloo 600 km (370 mi) 48,033.7 km2 (18,545.9 sq mi) 9.8 m3/s (310 GL/a)
The Lake Eyre and Bulloo–Bancannia basin total 1,271,000 km2 (491,000 sq mi) 162.2 m3/s (5,120 GL/a)
XI. South Western Plateau (SWP)

North Western Plateau (NWP)
Australia

See also

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