Mossman River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mossman River |
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The Mossman River during the wet season, 2010
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 Location of Mossman River mouth in Queensland
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| Country | Australia |
| State | Queensland |
| Region | Far North Queensland, Cape York Peninsula |
| City | Mossman |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Great Dividing Range below Devil's Thumb 1,050 m (3,440 ft) 16°25′47″S 145°15′3″E / 16.42972°S 145.25083°E |
| River mouth | Trinity Bay, Coral Sea between Newell and Cooya Beach 0 m (0 ft) 16°26′04″S 145°24′20″E / 16.43444°S 145.40556°E |
| Length | 24 km (15 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 472 km2 (182 sq mi) |
| National park | Daintree National Park |
The Mossman River is a beautiful river located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It flows through the Cape York Peninsula region. This river is an important part of the natural landscape and local culture.
Contents
The Mossman River: A Journey Through Nature
Where Does the River Start and End?
The Mossman River begins high up in the Great Dividing Range, near a place called Devils Thumb. From there, it flows through a deep valley in the Mount Lewis Forest Reserve.
The river then passes through the famous Mossman Gorge. This gorge is a stunning part of the Daintree National Park. After leaving the gorge, the river flows across the flat coastal land. It goes past the town of Mossman, where the Captain Cook Highway crosses over it.
Finally, the Mossman River reaches the ocean. It empties into Trinity Bay and the Coral Sea, between Newell and Cooya Beach. The river drops about 1050 meters (3,445 feet) over its 24-kilometer (15-mile) journey. The area of land that collects water for the river, called its catchment area, is about 472 square kilometers (182 square miles).
How the Mossman River Got Its Name
The Mossman River was named in 1873 by an explorer named George Elphinstone Dalrymple. He named it after Hugh Mosman. Hugh Mosman was a well-known explorer and mining expert who had discovered gold in Charters Towers.
George Dalrymple wrote that he named the river "after Mossman, an explorer and mining man, member of a very prominent mining family."
The Traditional Owners of the Land
The land around the Mossman River has been home to Aboriginal people for thousands of years. The traditional language area of the Kuka-Dyangan people, also known as Djangun, includes parts of the Douglas Shire and Cook Shire.
Another important group are the Yalanji people, also known as Kuku Yalanji. Their traditional language region stretches from the Mossman River in the south to the Annan River in the north. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east and goes inland to the west of Mount Mulgrave.
This large area includes towns like Cooktown, Mossman, Daintree, Cape Tribulation, and Wujal Wujal. It also covers the upper parts of rivers like the Palmer River and the Bloomfield River. These traditional owners have a deep connection to the land and its rivers, which are central to their culture and history.
See also
In Spanish: Río Mossman para niños
