Yass River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yass |
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A railway bridge over the Yass River.
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 Location of the Yass River mouth in New South Wales
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| Other name(s) | Cohen Creek |
| Country | Australia |
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | South Eastern Highlands (IBRA), Riverina, Southern Tablelands, South Western Slopes |
| LGAs | Queanbeyan–Palerang, Yass Valley |
| City | Yass |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Great Dividing Range near Wamboin 758 m (2,487 ft) |
| River mouth | confluence with the Murrumbidgee River Lake Burrinjuck 345 m (1,132 ft) 34°52′36″S 148°46′55″E / 34.87667°S 148.78194°E |
| Length | 139 km (86 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Murrumbidgee catchment, Murray-Darling basin |
| Tributaries |
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The Yass River is a river in New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the larger Murrumbidgee River system. This system then flows into the huge Murray–Darling basin, which is one of the largest river systems in the world. The Yass River flows through areas known as the Southern Tablelands and the South West Slopes.
Journey of the Yass River
The Yass River starts in a hilly area southwest of Bungendore, near a place called Wamboin. From there, it flows mostly towards the northwest, then turns southwest. Along its journey, seven smaller streams, called tributaries, join the Yass River.
The river eventually meets the Murrumbidgee River. This meeting point is within the waters of Lake Burrinjuck, which is west of the town of Yass. The Yass River travels about 139 kilometers (86 miles). During its journey, it drops about 413 meters (1,355 feet) in height from its source to where it joins the Murrumbidgee.
What's in a Name? The Story of "Yass"
There are a few different ideas about how the Yass River got its name.
- Idea 1: Some people believe the name came from an Aboriginal Australian person. They might have said "Yass boss, plains" to explorer Hamilton Hume. This happened when Hume was exploring the area.
- Idea 2: Another idea is that a member of Hume's exploration team, Mr. Angel, said, "Yas, yas, plenty of clear country here." This could have led to the name "Yass."
- Idea 3: A third idea suggests the name comes from the local Aboriginal Gandangara people. They might have used the words Yarrh or Yharr for the river. These words mean "running water."
