Roper River facts for kids
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The Roper River is an important river in the Northern Territory of Australia. It flows for about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from near a town called Mataranka. The river then travels east before it empties into the Gulf of Carpentaria.
River History
The Roper River was first explored by European travelers in 1845. An explorer named Ludwig Leichhardt crossed the river during his journey. He was traveling west from Moreton Bay to Port Essington. Leichhardt named the river after a member of his team, John Roper.
For many years, boats could travel along the Roper River as far as a place called Roper Bar. In the 1880s, several special boats called paddlesteamers used to operate on the river. These boats had large wheels on the side or back that pushed them through the water. They were important for moving goods and people along the river.
