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Swan River
Swan River,Perth,Western Australia.jpg
Black swans on the shore of the Swan River,
with the Perth skyline in the background
Swan River Map.png
Map of the area around Perth, showing the location of the Swan River
Native name Noongar: Derbarl Yerrigan
Country Australia
State Western Australia
City Perth; Fremantle
Physical characteristics
River mouth Indian Ocean
Fremantle
0 m (0 ft)
32°4′25″S 115°42′52″E / 32.07361°S 115.71444°E / -32.07361; 115.71444
Length 72 km (45 mi)
Basin features
Basin size 121,000 km2 (47,000 sq mi)
Tributaries

The Swan River is a famous river in the southwest of Western Australia. Its original Aboriginal name, from the Noongar language, is Derbarl Yerrigan. This important river flows right through Perth, which is the capital and largest city of Western Australia.

Light painting gnangarra-2
Light painting on the banks of the Swan River

The River's Journey

The Swan River starts as the Avon River. It flows through Perth and then into the Indian Ocean. The part of the river near the ocean is wide and deep. Further upstream, the river becomes narrower and shallower.

The Swan River collects water from a huge area of about 121,000 square kilometres (47,000 sq mi). It has three main rivers that feed into it: the Avon River, the Canning River, and the Helena River. The Canning and Helena rivers have dams that help supply drinking water to Perth. The Avon River brings most of the fresh water into the Swan. The area has a Mediterranean climate, meaning it has mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. This means the river's water levels change a lot with the seasons.

The Avon River begins near Yealering, about 221 kilometres (137 mi) southeast of Perth. It winds its way north to Toodyay. Then, in Walyunga National Park, it meets Wooroloo Brook and officially becomes the Swan River.

The Canning River starts near North Bannister, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast of Perth. It joins the Swan River at Applecross. From there, the river gets narrower and deeper, flowing through Fremantle Harbour and out to the Indian Ocean.

The Wagyl Story

The Noongar people have a special belief about the river. They say that the Darling Scarp (a line of hills) is the body of a Wagyl. The Wagyl is a snake-like creature from their Dreamtime stories. It is believed that the Wagyl moved across the land, creating all the rivers, waterways, and lakes, including the Swan River.

River Features and Surroundings

Worldwind-Perth1
Satellite imagery of the Swan River and surrounds

The Swan River flows across the Swan Coastal Plain. This area has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The river starts in the Darling Scarp hills and flows downhill to the ocean at Fremantle.

River Branches

Many smaller streams, called tributaries, join the Swan River. These include Ellen Brook, Jane Brook, and the Helena River. However, many of these streams now dry up or only flow during certain seasons. This is because of human activities like clearing land and building new areas.

Wetlands and Islands

Swan River, Western Australia
Wetlands in the river with the Perth skyline in the distance

Between Perth and Guildford, the river makes several loops. In the past, many areas like Maylands Peninsula and Ascot were swampy wetlands. Most of these wetlands have been filled in for building. Heirisson Island, where The Causeway bridge crosses, used to be a group of small islands.

Perth Water and Melville Water

Perth Water is the part of the river between the city and South Perth. It is separated from the main river by "The Narrows," where the Narrows Bridge was built. The river then opens up into a large area called Melville Water. The Canning River joins the Swan here. This is the widest part of the river, over 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) across.

Towards the Ocean

The river narrows again between Chidley Point and Blackwall Reach. It then flows into Fremantle Harbour. The Stirling Bridge and the Fremantle Traffic Bridge cross the river just before it reaches the ocean. The Swan River finally empties into the Indian Ocean at Fremantle Harbour.

Interesting Spots Along the River

Panorama of Rocky Bay looking south

Plants and Animals of the Swan River

The Swan-Canning Estuary is home to many different plants and animals. Here are some of them:

History of the Swan River

Vlamingh ships at the Swan River, Keulen 1796
Willem de Vlamingh's ships, with black swans, at the entrance to the Swan River, Western Australia, coloured engraving (1726)

The river was named Swarte Swaene-Revier (Black Swan River) by Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh in 1697. He named it after the many black swans he saw there. Vlamingh sailed up the river to around Heirisson Island.

Another explorer, Nicholas Baudin from France, also explored the river in 1801.

When the city of Perth was started in 1829, people began to change the river. They did this for several reasons:

  • To stop flooding in winter.
  • To make it easier for boats to travel by making channels deeper.
  • To get rid of swampy areas that attracted mosquitoes.
  • To create more dry land for farming and building.

Early Perth streets were often very sandy. Governor James Stirling noted in 1837 that there were hardly any proper roads. People had to cross the river using ferries.

Parts of the river needed to be dredged, which means digging up the bottom. The dug-up material was used to fill in muddy areas and raise the land. A very wet winter in 1862 caused major flooding. This flooding was made worse because so much land had been reclaimed. The first machine used for dredging in Western Australia was called the Black Swan. It worked on the river from 1872 to 1911.

Swan River 1918
Swan River in 1918, showing the then as-yet largely undeveloped Mill Point area

Changes to the River

Since European settlement in 1829, many parts of the river have been changed:

  • Claise Brook: This used to be a freshwater creek. For many years, it was used to dump waste into the river. Today, the area has been cleaned up and is mostly residential.
  • Point Fraser: This was a large piece of land on the northern side of the river. It was filled in between 1921 and 1935 to make the riverbank straighter.
  • The Esplanade: The northern riverbank used to be much closer to the city. More land was added to create the Esplanade road.
  • Heirisson Islands: These were once several small mudflats. Now, there is one larger, man-made island with deep channels on each side.
  • Burswood: A canal was built in 1831 to help boats get past shallow areas. This created Burswood Island. More land was filled in during the 1900s.
  • Point Belches (Mill Point): This was a sandy area with a deep bay. It was later filled in to become the South Perth peninsula, where the Narrows Bridge is now.
  • Mounts Bay: This bay was made much smaller in the 1950s when the Narrows Bridge was built. An elderly woman, Bessie Rischbieth, famously protested by standing in front of bulldozers in 1957.
  • Fremantle Harbour: The harbour was built in the 1890s. A limestone reef that blocked the river's mouth was removed. This changed how the river flowed, making it more affected by tides.

Environmental Challenges

The river has faced problems from pollution. In the past, all kinds of waste were dumped into it. Even in the 1970s, rubbish tips were on the river's edge. Factories also released waste. Cleanup efforts are still happening in some areas to remove harmful chemicals.

In summer, there are often problems with algal blooms. These are caused by too many nutrients from farms and fertilisers washing into the river. Algal blooms can kill fish. Sometimes, sewage or chemicals have accidentally spilled, causing parts of the river to be closed. Despite these challenges, the river is still in pretty good shape.

In 2010, the Western Australian government limited phosphorus in fertilisers. This was to protect the health of the Swan and Canning river system.

The Perth Water area is a popular spot for the annual Australia Day fireworks show. Over 400,000 people gather along the river, in Kings Park, and on boats to watch.

MatildaBay gobeirne
Matilda Bay on the Swan River, with Mount Eliza and the Perth skyline in the background

Major Floods

Records of floods in the Swan River go back to 1829. In July 1830, the river rose 6 metres above its normal level! Many new settlers lost their belongings. Other big floods happened in 1847, 1860, and 2017.

The biggest flood recorded was in July 1872. It was so big that it's called a "100-year flood." This means a flood of that size is expected to happen only once every 100 years on average. During this flood, the river looked like a huge lake. All the jetties were underwater, and roads to Fremantle were covered.

The flood of July 1926 caused the Upper Swan Bridge to wash away. A part of the Fremantle Railway Bridge also collapsed. Luckily, no one was hurt when the railway bridge collapsed, even though a train with schoolchildren had just crossed it.

How People Use the River

Getting Around

In the early days of the Swan River Settlement, the river was the main way to travel between Perth and Fremantle. This continued until train lines were built.

SwanRiverEastFremantle gobeirne
View from East Fremantle along Blackwall Reach towards Point Walter and Perth

Bridges Over the Swan River

There are 22 road and railway bridges that cross the Swan River. Here they are, starting from Fremantle and going upstream:

The Causeway (east)
Eastern end of The Causeway taken from Burswood Park

Water Sports and Clubs

The Swan River is a popular place for water sports. Many rowing and yacht clubs are located along its banks.

  • Rowing Clubs: The first rowing club was the West Australian Rowing Club. The Swan River Rowing Club started in 1887.
  • Yacht Clubs: There are fifteen yacht clubs along the river. Most are on Melville Water, Freshwater Bay, and Matilda Bay. The Royal Perth Yacht Club hosted the famous 1987 America's Cup sailing race.

Cultural Importance

The Swan River is a very important part of Perth's culture. For a long time, people in Perth even talked about living "north of the river" or "south of the river." This was because it used to take a long time to cross the river before the main bridges were built.

Today, the river is a hub for many water sports like rowing, sailing, and swimming. It is also the location for the huge City of Perth Skyworks fireworks show every year on Australia Day.

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