Pieman River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pieman |
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The Pieman River
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| Native name | Corinna |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Tasmania |
| Region | West Coast |
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth | Hardwicke Bay 0 m (0 ft) 41°40′13″S 144°55′9″E / 41.67028°S 144.91917°E |
| Length | 26 km (16 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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| Reservoir | Lake Rosebury, Lake Pieman |
The Pieman River is a big river located on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is a perennial river, which means it flows all year round.
River Journey and Features
The Pieman River starts where two other rivers, the Mackintosh River and Murchison River, join together. This meeting point is called a confluence. The river then flows into what is now known as Lake Rosebury. This lake is actually man-made, created by the Bastyan Dam.
From there, the Pieman River generally flows west and northwest, then west again. Many smaller rivers and streams, called tributaries, flow into it. Some of these include the Mackintosh, Murchison, Marionoak, Ring, Wilson, Stitt, Huskisson, Stanley, Heemskirk, Paradise, Owen Meredith, Savage, Whyte and Donaldson rivers.
Finally, the Pieman River empties into Hardwicke Bay and reaches its mouth in the Southern Ocean. The river drops about 191 metres (627 ft) along its 100-kilometre (62 mi) path.
Dams and Power Stations
The river has two main dams that create large lakes:
- The Bastyan Dam creates Lake Rosebury. Next to it is the Bastyan Power Station.
- The Reece Dam creates Lake Pieman. Next to it is the Reece Power Station.
These dams and power stations are part of a big project called the Pieman River Power Development, run by Hydro Tasmania. They help create electricity from the river's water. Building these power projects also changed the path of the Emu Bay Railway. Some old railway sites near the river, like parts of the Wee Georgie Wood Railway, were covered by water.
River's Name Story
The Aboriginal Tasmanians called this river Corinna. This word comes from the Peerapper language and means thylacine, which is a type of marsupial that used to live in Tasmania.
The English name "Pieman River" comes from a person nicknamed "The Pieman." For a long time, people thought this was Alexander Pearce, a famous convict. However, that's not true! "The Pieman" was actually a man named Thomas Kent. He was a pastry-cook from England who was sent to Van Diemen's Land (which is now Tasmania) in 1816 as a convict.
Thomas Kent got into trouble many times. In 1822, he was sent to the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station. He later escaped but was caught again near the mouth of the river. That's how the river got its nickname from him. The areas along the river have a rich history of timber (wood cutting), mining, and other industries.
See also
In Spanish: Río Pieman para niños
