Proserpine River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Proserpine |
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Boat approaching the wharf on Proserpine River, Queensland, ca. 1899
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 Location of Proserpine river mouth in Queensland
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| Country | Australia |
| Territory | Queensland |
| Region | Whitsunday Region |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Mount Quandong Great Dividing Range, Whitsunday Region, Australia 110 m (360 ft) |
| River mouth | Repulse Bay Coral Sea, Australia 0 m (0 ft) 20°26′25″S 148°40′41″E / 20.44028°S 148.67806°E |
| Length | 69 km (43 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 2,494 km2 (963 sq mi) |
The Proserpine River is a river found in the Whitsunday Region of Queensland, Australia. It is an important waterway in the area.
Contents
Journey of the Proserpine River
The Proserpine River starts its journey high up in the Great Dividing Range. This is a large mountain range in Australia. The river begins below a place called Mount Quandong.
At first, the river flows north. Many smaller creeks join it, bringing water from the Clarke Range and Normanby Range. The river then flows into Lake Proserpine.
After leaving the lake, the river turns east. It flows past towns like Foxdale and Proserpine. It crosses the Bruce Highway, a major road.
The river then turns south. It flows through areas with special trees called Melaleuca forests. Finally, it reaches the sea through wetlands and mangrove forests. It empties into Repulse Bay near Conway Beach, which is part of the Coral Sea.
River's Surroundings
The land around the Proserpine River is called its catchment area. This area covers about 2,494 square kilometers (963 square miles). A part of this area, about 127 square kilometers (49 square miles), is made up of wetlands where the river meets the sea.
Most of the land in the catchment area is used for farming. Farmers raise cattle there. Large sections are also used to grow sugar cane.
The part of the river that meets the sea is called an estuary. It has many mangrove trees and flat areas that are covered and uncovered by the tides.
History of the River
The original people of this land are the Gia and Ngaro peoples. They have lived near the Proserpine River for thousands of years.
The name "Proserpine" first appeared in 1861. A family named Emmerson leased land for a cattle station near the river's mouth. They likely named it the Proserpine Creek Run.
It is thought that an explorer named George Elphinstone Dalrymple named the river. However, he probably never traveled along the river himself. The name "Proserpine" comes from the Roman goddess Proserpina. She was known as a goddess of fertility.
Crocodiles in the River
The Proserpine River is well-known for its saltwater crocodiles. Between 2000 and 2012, it was the river in Queensland where people saw the most crocodiles. There were 151 sightings recorded during that time.
Crocodiles are a protected species in Queensland. This means it is against the law to harm them. In 2015, about 30 baby crocodiles were believed to have been taken from a nest in the river.
