Yarra River Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Yarra
The Yarra River through Pound Bend near Warrandyte.
Location of the mouth of the Yarra River in Victoria
Native name	Berrern Birr-arrung Wongete Yarro-yarro
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
Region	South Eastern Highlands (IBRA), Central Victoria
LGA	City of Hobsons Bay City of Port Phillip City of Melbourne City of Yarra City of Darebin City of Boroondara City of Banyule City of Manningham Shire of Nillumbik Yarra Ranges Shire
City	Melbourne
Physical characteristics
Main source	Yarra Ranges, Great Dividing Range within Yarra Ranges National Park 792 m (2,598 ft) 37°44′57″S 146°8′26″E / 37.74917°S 146.14056°E / -37.74917; 146.14056
River mouth	Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip near the suburb of Port Melbourne 0 m (0 ft) 37°51′7″S 144°54′30″E / 37.85194°S 144.90833°E / -37.85194; 144.90833
Length	242 km (150 mi)
Basin features
River system	Port Phillip and Western Port catchment
Basin size	4,078 km² (1,575 sq mi)50%
Tributaries	Left: Maribyrnong River, Moonee Ponds Creek, Merri Creek, Darebin Creek, Plenty River, Diamond Creek, Steeles Creek, Watts River, Badger Creek, Don River, Cement Creek, O'Shannassy River Right: Gardiners Creek, Glass Creek, Koonung Creek, Mullum Mullum Creek, Jumping Creek, Olinda Creek, Woori Yallock Creek, Hoddles Creek, Little Yarra River, Starvation Creek
National park	Yarra Ranges NP, Royal Botanic Gardens

The Yarra River is also known as the Yarra Yarra River, Aboriginal: Berrern, Birr-arrung, Bay-ray-rung, Birarang. Birrarung, and Wongete). The Yarra river is a perennial river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The river flows from its source in the Yarra Ranges 242 kilometres (150 mi) west through the Yarra Valley. The river opens out into plains as it winds its way through Greater Melbourne. It then empties into Hobsons Bay in northernmost Port Phillip.

The river was a major food source for indigenous Australians during prehistoric times. It also served as a meeting place during those times. The river was first called Birrarung by the Wurundjeri. The current name was translated wrong from another Wurundjeri term in the Boonwurrung language; Yarro-yarro, meaning "ever-flowing".

The river was used for agriculture by early European settlers. The landscape of the river has changed since 1835. The course of the river has been changed and widened in places. Widening and dams, like the Upper Yarra Reservoir have helped protect Melbourne from major flooding. Industrialisation led to the destruction of the marshlands at the joining of the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers in the area around Coode Island in West Melbourne. The yearly Moomba festival celebrates the Yarra River's meaning to Melbourne.

Images for kids

Yarra River Night Panorama.
The course of the Yarra River around 10,000 years ago, after the end of the last Ice Age, prior to the creation of Port Phillip.
The confluence of the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers before 1880.
Melbourne Landing, 1840; watercolour by W. Liardet (1840)
Pound Bend diversion tunnel
The Yarra and Victoria Docks in 1928
The area around Port Melbourne since the construction of Swanson Dock in 1972.
A Parks Victoria Litter trap on the river catches floating rubbish
The distinctive colour of the river is easily recognisable.
Map of Yarra River and its tributaries.
Olinda Creek at Lilydale, an upper tributary of the Yarra
Melbourne is the largest settlement that the Yarra flows through. The Yarra at central Melbourne is shown here at night, with the central business district on the left and Southbank on the right
The Brisbane Bridge over the Yarra River, Warburton.
The river through Wonga Park.
The Yarra River as it flows north-west towards central Melbourne, passing underneath the Swan Street Bridge.
Yarra crossing punt road, Melbourne, 1838. by W. Liardet
Artificial fish on the Yarra during 2006 Commonwealth Games
Moomba waterskiing
Yarra River walk paths

Yarra River facts for kids

Images for kids

See also