Avon River (Gippsland, Victoria)

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The Avon River is located in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Along with the Latrobe and Thomson Rivers, it flows into Lake Wellington, the western most of the Gippsland Lakes. The Avon River rises on the slopes of Mount Wellington (altitude 1634m) in the eastern highlands and flows south to Lake Wellington. The major tributaries of the Avon River include Valencia Creek, Freestone Creek and the Perry River which joins just before Lake Wellington.

Considerable demand is placed on the Latrobe and Thomson Rivers for supply of Melbourne’s water, industrial use in Australia’s largest pulp and paper mill and the power industry in the Latrobe Valley, and for irrigation. The Avon river escapes any major impoundment or diversion.

The upper reaches are contained in the rugged, heavily forested and largely inaccessible, Avon Wilderness Area. The river passes through forested hillsides, then cleared agricultural land. Around Stratford the river has dug a wide channel up to 500 metres across, composed mainly of sand banks and pebble banks. The river then forms a boundary for the Macallister Irrigation District, with Nuntin Creek joining 10km below Stratford contributing a large amount of irrigation drainage to the river.

The river was important to the local Gunai/Kurnai indigenous people, highlighted by Knob Reserve, 3km south of Stratford, being part of the Gunai/Kurnai Bataluk Cultural Trail. The trail highlights the places of cultural significance to the first inhabitants across East Gippsland.

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