Moruya River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moruya River |
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Moruya River looking upstream from the breakwater on the northern head of the river.
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| Country | Australia |
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | South East Corner (IBRA), South Coast |
| Local government area | Eurobodalla |
| Town | Moruya |
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth | Tasman Sea, South Pacific Ocean |
| Length | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 1,424 km2 (550 sq mi) |
The Moruya River is a beautiful river on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It's a special type of river called a barrier estuary or tidal river. This means it's connected to the ocean and its waters mix with the tides. Higher up, where the water is fresh, it's known as the Deua River.
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Journey of the Moruya River
The Deua River starts its journey south of Braidwood. It flows for about 139 kilometers (86 miles). Near the village of Kiora, the Deua River joins with the Moruya River. This meeting point is called a confluence.
From Kiora, the Moruya River flows mostly east. It passes by the town of Moruya. Finally, it reaches its mouth at the Tasman Sea near Moruya Heads. The river drops about 22 meters (72 feet) over its 19-kilometer (12-mile) path.
River Mouth and Breakwalls
The Moruya River meets the Tasman Sea at a sandy area called a bar. This bar can be tricky for boats. To make it safer, people built strong walls called training walls or breakwalls.
Work on these walls started around 1907. This was because a lot of sand and mud was building up at the river's entrance. A special boat called a dredge, named Antleon, helped clear the river in the 1920s.
In 1924, a ship called the Benandra was wrecked at the entrance. This showed how dangerous the bar could be. The breakwalls were finished in 1925, but big storms sometimes damaged them.
Granite for Famous Landmarks
The river became even more important in 1924. A stone quarry opened nearby. This quarry provided granite for the huge pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It also supplied stone for the Cenotaph war memorial in Martin Place in Sydney. The Public Works Department even built a wharf next to the quarry to make it easier to load the stone onto ships.
More work was done on the southern training walls between 1931 and 1933. Even bigger projects happened from 1946 to 1954.
Early Settlements and the Bar
Because the bar was so risky for ships, the main town in the area first grew at nearby Broulee. But in 1841, a big flood cleared the bar. This made Moruya accessible to ships. So, Moruya grew, and Broulee became less important. Moruya was also the easiest way to reach the rich Araluen goldfields starting in the 1850s.
Today, a rock breakwall on the northern side of the river helps manage the bar.
History of the River
The Moruya River used to be a busy waterway for coastal ships. The Illawarra Steam Navigation Company ran services here. These ships carried goods and people.
The Benandra Shipwreck
The Benandra was a wooden steamship used for carrying cargo. On March 25, 1924, it sadly hit a sandbar near the river's entrance and was lost. At least one person died in this accident.
Bridges Over the Moruya River
The Princes Highway crosses the Moruya River at Moruya. The very first bridge here was built in 1876. However, floods often damaged it. New bridges were built in 1900, 1945, and most recently, in 1966. Each new bridge was designed to be stronger and safer.
Nature and Wildlife
The Moruya River is home to some interesting creatures.
Marine Visitors
Sometimes, large southern right whales, which prefer coastal waters, might swim into the river mouth. It's a rare and exciting sight!
Unique Lamprey Species
The river is also home to a special type of fish called Mordacia praecox. This is a species of southern topeyed lamprey. What makes it unique is that it's found only in the Moruya River and the nearby Tuross River.
