Parramatta River facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Parramatta River
Aerial view across the mouth of the Parramatta River as it reaches in Port Jackson, looking east
NASA satellite view of Greater Metropolitan Sydney, with the location of the mouth of the Parramatta River, as it flows into Port Jackson, as marked
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
LGAs	Parramatta, Ryde, Canada Bay, Hunter's Hill, Inner West
Physical characteristics
Main source	Toongabbie Creek Old Toongabbie 33°47′56″S 150°59′47″E / 33.798813°S 150.996350°E / -33.798813; 150.996350
2nd source	Darling Mills Creek North Parramatta
River mouth	Port Jackson Greenwich and Birchgrove 33°50′41″S 151°10′55″E / 33.844654°S 151.181859°E / -33.844654; 151.181859
Length	13.7 km (8.5 mi)
Basin features
Basin size	252.4 km² (97.5 sq mi)
Tributaries	Left: Vineyard Creek, Ponds Subiaco Creek, Archer Creek, Smalls Creek, Charity Creek, Tarban Creek, Lane Cove River Right: Duck River, Haslams Creek, Powells Creek, Iron Cove Creek, Hawthorne Canal

The Parramatta River is a special type of river mouth called an estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is about 5.1 metres (17 ft) deep on average. The Parramatta River is the main tributary (a smaller river that flows into a larger one) of Sydney Harbour. Other smaller rivers like the Lane Cove and Duck rivers also flow into it.

The river starts where two creeks, Toongabbie Creek and Darling Mills Creek, join together at North Parramatta. From there, it flows east until it reaches Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour). This is near Yurulbin, Birchgrove and Manns Point, Greenwich. The river's total catchment area (the land where all the water drains into the river) is about 252.4 square kilometres (97.5 sq mi). The river's tides reach as far as Charles Street Weir in Parramatta. This is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the Tasman Sea.

For thousands of years, Aboriginal peoples lived along the Parramatta River. These included the Wallumettagal nations and clans like the Wangal, Toongagal, Burramattagal, and Wategora from the Darug people. They used the river for food and trade. The river itself was formed millions of years ago. Its waters slowly carved a valley into the sandstone and shale rock.

Where the River Begins and What Flows In

The Parramatta River starts when Darling Mills Creek and Toongabbie Creek meet. This meeting point is on the northern edge of the Cumberland Hospital grounds. It is also where the suburbs of Westmead, Northmead, and North Parramatta meet.

Many other waterways flow into the Parramatta River as it travels from west to east. These include:

Vineyard Creek at Rydalmere (from the north)
Ponds Subiaco Creek at Rydalmere (from the north)
Duck River at Silverwater (from the south)
Archer Creek at Meadowbank (from the north)
Smalls Creek at Meadowbank (from the far north)
Charity Creek at Meadowbank (from the north)
Haslams Creek at Homebush Bay (from the south)
Powells Creek at Homebush Bay (from the south)
Iron Cove Creek at Five Dock (from the south)
Hawthorne Canal at Iron Cove (from the south)
Tarban Creek at Huntleys Point (from the north)
Lane Cove River at Greenwich (from the north)

The River in Parramatta City

From its starting point near Toongabbie, the river flows south through the Cumberland Hospital grounds. It then enters Parramatta Park and turns west. It flows through the main part of Parramatta city. Most of the riverbanks here are open to the public. There are parks and walkways that go downstream to James Ruse Drive. Many small creeks and stormwater drains also feed into the river in this area.

The river's water flow is controlled by several weirs (small dams). These include the weir at the hospital grounds, the Kiosk Weir in Parramatta Park, the Marsden Street Weir, and the Charles Street Weir near the ferry wharf. These weirs have special "fish ladders" that help fish move past them. The Kiosk Weir and Charles Street Weir also have footbridges, so people can walk across the river. In the past, the river was dammed to create water reservoirs for the town. Today, the weirs mainly make the river look nice by stopping the water from draining away during dry times. However, this means the river can flood when there is heavy rain, especially near the Charles Street Weir. The Charles Street Weir also marks the point where fresh water meets salt water, and it's the limit of how far the tides reach.

Who Looks After the River?

The entire Sydney Harbour area, including the Parramatta River, has a long-term plan to manage its environment. Many local councils work together to improve the river. There are thirteen councils in the Parramatta River catchment group. They are all working to fix the two biggest pollution problems: sewer overflows and stormwater runoff. The goal is to make the whole river safe for swimming again by 2025. Lake Parramatta was opened for swimming in 2014 as a first step.

The New South Wales Government also has rules about public access to the riverbanks. This includes areas that are exposed at low tide. Roads and Maritime Services is in charge of boat moorings, jetties, and managing the riverbed.

Getting Around: Ferries and Bridges

Ferry Services and Wharves

You can catch River Cat ferries along the Parramatta River all the way to Circular Quay. Here are the main ferry stops, from west to east:

Wharf name	Suburb	Location on side of river
Parramatta ferry wharf	Parramatta	Southern
Rydalmere ferry wharf	Rydalmere	Northern
Sydney Olympic Park ferry wharf	Sydney Olympic Park precinct	Southern
Meadowbank ferry wharf	Meadowbank	Northern
Kissing Point ferry wharf	Kissing Point	Northern
Cabarita ferry wharf	Cabarita Park	Southern
Abbotsford ferry wharf	Abbotsford	Southern
Chiswick ferry wharf	Five Dock	Southern
Huntleys Point ferry wharf	Gladesville	Northern

River Crossings

The Parramatta River and Sydney Harbour have always been a big barrier in Sydney. They cut the city in half from north to south. Because of this, the many bridges and crossings are very important for the city's daily life. Here are the crossings of the Parramatta River, from west to east:

Crossing name	Southern location	Northern location	What it's used for
Rings Bridge	Parramatta		Car and pedestrian bridge on O'Connell Street.
Bernie Banton Bridge	Parramatta		A concrete bridge for cars and pedestrians on Marsden Street. It was renamed in 2006 after Bernie Banton, who fought for people with asbestos diseases.
Lennox Bridge	Parramatta		An old stone bridge built by convicts between 1836 and 1839. It carries cars on Church Street.
Barry Wilde Bridge	Parramatta
Elizabeth St Footbridge	Parramatta		A bridge just for people walking, with an artwork called Wake.
The Macarthur Bridge (Gasworks Bridge)	Parramatta		An old iron bridge from 1885, named after a nearby gasworks.
James Ruse Drive bridge	Camellia	Rydalmere	A concrete road bridge for cars on James Ruse Drive.
Clyde–Carlingford railway bridge (Camellia Railway Bridge)	Camellia	Rydalmere	A railway bridge with a water pipe bridge next to it.
Thackeray Bridge	Camellia	Rydalmere	A bridge just for people walking.
Silverwater Bridge	Silverwater	Rydalmere	A concrete road bridge for cars on Silverwater Road, opened in 1962.
John Whitton Bridge	Rhodes	Meadowbank	A railway bridge for the Main Northern railway line.
Parramatta River Underbridge (Old John Whitton Bridge)	Rhodes	Meadowbank	This used to be a railway bridge, but now it's for people walking and cycling.
Ryde Bridge	Rhodes	Ryde	A double bridge for cars.
Mortlake Ferry	Mortlake	Putney	A special ferry that carries cars and people across the river. It has been running since 1928.
Gladesville Bridge	Drummoyne (south–east)	Huntleys Point (north–west)	This large concrete arch bridge was finished in 1964. It carries cars on Victoria Road.

River Health and Environment

Water Quality Concerns

For many years, until about 1970, the Parramatta River was used as a dumping ground for Sydney's industries. Because of this, some parts of the river, especially the southern bays, are still polluted with heavy metals and chemicals. The northern bays are not as affected. This is because industrial development was already strong on the southern side of the Harbour before the Sydney Harbour Bridge was built in 1932.

Experts from the University of Sydney have found that Sydney Harbour is as polluted as other harbours in industrial cities. They found that the worst pollution is in the southern central bays (from Blackwattle to Homebush Bays). Four of the five most polluted areas in Sydney Harbour are in the Parramatta River system.

The main polluted areas in the Parramatta River are:

Homebush Bay: This area has dioxins, lead, and other chemicals. These came from nearby chemical factories like Berger Paints, CSR Chemicals, ICI/Orica, and Union Carbide.
Iron Cove: This area has various metals and chemicals. The pollution might come from Iron Cove Creek and Hawthorne Canal.
Near the old AGL site (now Breakfast Point): This area also had pollution issues.

The Office of Environment and Heritage (New South Wales) (OEH) checks the water quality for bacteria. However, they only check as far west as Cabarita. They do not check the water quality further west, even though more buildings are being built there and people use the river for boating. In the areas that are checked, the water is usually good, except after heavy rains.

Fishing Restrictions

There are rules about fishing in the Parramatta River because of the polluted mud at the bottom. Fishing is completely banned in Homebush Bay due to dioxin contamination. In 2006, the NSW Government banned all commercial fishing in Sydney Harbour and its rivers, including the Parramatta River west of the Harbour Bridge. This ban lasted until 2011.

Important Wetlands and Natural Areas

The river has important wetlands, which are areas of land covered by water. These include:

Bicentennial Park Wetlands
Newington Wetlands

There are also many mangrove trees along the river, especially west of Henley and Mortlake. Mangroves have grown in areas that used to be salt marshes. Historical records show that there were far fewer mangroves when Europeans first arrived. Land clearing and building work have caused soil and nutrients to wash into the river. This has created a perfect environment for mangroves to grow. Too much silt (fine sand or mud) in the river is still a problem.

Land Reclamation

Many parts of the river, especially the swampy ends of bays, have been "reclaimed." This means land was created by filling in parts of the river, often with rubbish, before turning them into parks or playing fields. Large parts of Meadowbank Park were made this way. Some industrial sites were also built on land reclaimed from the river, especially in Homebush Bay. Most creeks flowing into the bays have been "channelised," meaning they have concrete walls and floors.

Cleaning Up the River

Some areas of the river with very polluted sediments have not yet been cleaned up. However, a big cleanup of the mud is starting in Homebush Bay. This includes the dioxin-polluted mud near the old Union Carbide factory and the lead-polluted mud near the old Berger Paints factory. The old AGL site has been checked and cleaned up, and new homes are being built there. But the mud at the bottom of the river near this site, which independent research shows is polluted, has not yet been fully investigated.

In some places, the polluted mud has been covered with concrete. This stops fish from eating the small creatures that live in the mud. Some companies say it's best to leave the pollution alone. But environmental groups argue that the pollution could be moving up the food chain (from small creatures to fish, and then to animals or people who eat the fish). They believe companies are trying to avoid the costs of cleaning up the pollution.

Fun Things to Do on the River

Sailing

There are several clubs for sailing and yachting on the Parramatta River:

Abbotsford 12 ft Flying Squadron in Abbotsford
Concord & Ryde Sailing Club at Putney
Parramatta River Sailing Club at Gladesville

Sailing and rowing events happen with a special permit from Roads and Maritime Services.

Sea Scouts

Sea Scouts groups are located at:

Rhodes: First Yaralla
Meadowbank: Epping Scout Group has a boat shed and uses it for sailing and canoeing in summer.

Rowing

The river has a long history with rowing. There is a monument to Henry Searle, a famous rower, in the river at Henley.

Many schools have rowing sheds on the river, including:

MLC School
The King's School
Sydney Boys High School
Newington College
The Scots College
Sydney Grammar School
Shore School

There are also several rowing clubs:

Leichhardt Rowing Club, Drummoyne Rowing Club and UTS Haberfield (in Iron Cove)
Glebe Rowing Club (in Blackwattle Bay)
Sydney Rowing Club at Abbotsford Point
Balmain Rowing Club at Balmain
UNSW Boat Club (in Tarban Creek)
SGHS Rowing Club (also in Tarban Creek)

While some rowing races are still held on the river, especially in Iron Cove and Hen and Chicken Bay, many big races now happen at the Sydney International Regatta Centre (SIRC) near the Nepean River. This is where rowing events for the 2000 Summer Olympics were held. Most rowing training takes place in the middle and upper parts of the river. This is because there is less boat traffic, fewer waves, and more protection from the wind. Rowing also happens in the Lane Cove River and Iron Cove, which are less busy.

Walks and Cycleways

Much of the river's edge is still owned by industries or private homes. However, more and more waterfront land is becoming public parkland with walkways and cycleways. As old industrial sites are cleaned up and redeveloped, the riverbanks are opened for public access. Where there isn't direct access to the river, cycleways are routed through quiet streets with clear signs for cyclists.

Some of the main parks along the river are:

Cabarita Park
Kissing Point Park, Ryde
Meadowbank Park
Putney Park
George Kendall Riverside Park, Ermington
Bicentennial Park, Homebush Bay
Millennium Parklands, Homebush/Auburn

Historic Places to See

There are many important historic buildings near the river, all listed on the Register of the National Estate. These include:

Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital (now Rivendell Child, Adolescent and Family Unit), built in 1891–93.
Callan Park, an old psychiatric hospital with beautiful sandstone buildings from 1877.
Gladesville Mental Hospital, with sandstone buildings in a park-like setting, built in 1836.
Yaralla, a grand mansion built in the late 1860s. It was home to Thomas Walker and his daughter Dame Eadith Walker, who were very generous to the Concord community. It now serves as Dame Eadith Walker Hospital.
Newington House, a Regency-style home built in 1832. It later became part of Silverwater State hospital and then an administrative building for Silverwater Prison.