Macleay River

Macleay River
Muddy River[1]
Open/trained mature wave dominated, barrier estuary[2]
Macleay River, viewed at Lower Creek
Name origin: In honour of Alexander Macleay[1]
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
IBRA	New England Tablelands, NSW North Coast
Districts	Northern Tablelands, Mid North Coast
Local government area	Armidale Dumaresq, Bellingen, Kempsey
Tributaries
- left	Chandler River, Top Creek, Dyke River, Sunday Creek (New South Wales), Georges Creek, Five Day Creek, Lagoon Creek, Nulla Nulla Creek, Hickeys Creek, Munga Creek, Christmas Creek
- right	Blue Mountain Creek, Apsley River, Kunderang Brook, Carrolls Creek, Felters Creek, Stockyard Creek, Mackenzies Creek, Warbro Brook, Parrabel Creek, Oaky Creek, Dungay Creek
City	Kempsey
Primary source	Great Dividing Range
- location	Blue Nobby Mountain, near Uralla
- elevation	455 m (1,493 ft)
Secondary source	Gara River
Source confluence	Salisbury Waters and Bakers Creek
Mouth	Tasman Sea, South Pacific Ocean
- location	near South West Rocks
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	298 km (185 mi)
Depth	2.6 m (9 ft)
Volume	70,235 m3 (2,480,326 cu ft)
Basin	11,287 km2 (4,358 sq mi)
Area	31.6 km2 (12 sq mi)
National Parks	Cunnawarra NP, Oxley Wild Rivers NP
Website: NSW Environment and Heritage webpage
[3]

Macleay River, an open and trained mature wave dominated, barrier estuary,^[2] is located in the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia.

Course and features

Macleay River at Oven Camp, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

Formed by the confluence of the Gara River, Salisbury Waters and Bakers Creek, the Macleay River rises below Blue Nobby Mountain, east of Uralla within the Great Dividing Range. The river flows in a meandering course generally east by south, joined by twenty-six tributaries including the Apsley, Chandler, and Dyke rivers and passing through a number of spectacular gorges and waterfalls in Cunnawarra National Park and Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, before reaching its mouth at the Tasman Sea of the South Pacific Ocean, near South West Rocks. The river descends 460 metres (1,510 ft) over its 298 kilometres (185 mi) course.^[3]

The river flows adjacent to the city of Kempsey. At Frederickton the river is traversed by the Pacific Highway via the Macleay River Bridge, the longest road bridge in Australia.^[4] The river is also traversed by the North Coast railway line.^[5]

The Macleay River is liable to flooding in the Kempsey area, on occasions causing great damage.^[6][7][8] During times of peak flooding, the Macleay River can hold over 200,000 gigalitres (7.1×10¹² cu ft) of water.

The upper reaches of the Macleay River provide some of the best bass fishing spots in the country.^[9]

History

The Australian Aboriginal Dunghutti people are the traditional custodians of the land surrounding the Macleay River catchment and the Apsley River catchment, whose descendants are now concentrated in the lower Macleay River. Archaeological evidence of Aboriginal camp sites have been found on the upper terraces of the Macleay and Apsley rivers.^{[citation needed]}

John Oxley, failed to realize the potential of this river in 1820 when he did not navigate far enough up the river to see the magnificent stands of timber and the fertile land. The river was vaguely referred to as the New River from descriptions given by Aborigines. In 1826 Captain Wright travelled overland from Port Macquarie and explored to the head of navigation at Belgrave Falls, a series of rapids to the west of the present town of Kempsey. Then called Wrights River, Major Archibald Clunes Innes, Commandant of Port Macquarie Penal Settlement, sent the first government gang of Australian red cedar (Toona ciliata) cutters to work here in 1827.^{[citation needed]}

More cedar camps were established on the Macleay during the 1830s and the area was also a haven for escaped convicts. By 1841, about 200 cutters were working on the river area, where violence and theft of logs was not uncommon. Demand and prices dropped in 1842 and cutting along the Macleay diminished although it continued in the upper tributaries. When Europeans arrived in the area around the 1820s the river mouth was just south of Grassy Head, and almost a mile wide with a sand spit in the middle. The small town of Stuarts Point was established on the river just inside to serve arriving ships.^[10]

The area from what is now South West Rocks around to Grassy Head is a wide delta with various channels connected to the river. Around 1885 English marine engineer John Coode advised on improvements to various rivers and ports in Australia, including the Macleay. The Department of Public Works prepared four plans for improvements to the mouth, Coode favoured improving the existing entrance. In 1893 a flood enlarged an opening near South West Rocks and the department elected to improve that, called the New Entrance, though Coode had thought it not enough to drain all the waters of the district. Work on the new entrance commenced in April 1896, improving the channel and adding training walls. A new pilot station was built in 1902, establishing the town of South West Rocks. Work was completed in 1906. Today the old mouth has silted up, leaving Stuarts Point on a dead-end reach.^{[citation needed]}

Variously known as Wright River, Trail River, New and McLeay rivers it was named the Macleay River in honour of Innes’s father-in-law, Alexander Macleay, Scottish-born scientist and colonial secretary of New South Wales.^[1][11]

See also

• Rivers of New South Wales
• List of rivers of Australia
• Macleay River Bridge - the longest road bridge in Australia.

References

External links

• "Macleay River catchment" (map). Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. 
• Northern Rivers Geology Blog - Macleay River

v t e River systems and rivers of the Northern Rivers catchments, New South Wales, Australia   Tweed Shire and Tweed River catchment Oxley Rous Tweed Byrrill Cudgen Cudgera Crystal Doon Doon Dunbible Hopkins Hopping Dicks Jacksons Korrumbyn Mooball Nobbys Rolands Smiths Tyalgum   Byron Shire and Brunswick River catchment Brunswick Belongil Broken Head Kings Mullumbimby Simpsons Tallow   Richmond Valley and Richmond River catchment Back Coopers Eden Evans Leycester Richmond Sandy Shannon Wilsons Bingeebeebra Black Horse Boomerang Boorabee Branch Bungawalbin Byrangery Calico Cherry Tree Cob O'Corn Deep Doubtful Dyraaba Emigrant Fawcetts Findon Goolmangar Gradys Horse Station Iron Pot Jeffries Jiggi Lynchs Mongogarie Mulgum Oaky O'Donnell Rileys Rose Roseberry Salty Lagoon Simpkins Smiths Terrace Terania Theresa Tuntable Wyndham Yankey   Clarence Valley and Clarence River catchment Aberfoyle Barcoongere Beaury Bielsdown Blicks Bobo Boonoo Boonoo Boundary (Glen Fernaigh) Boundary (Nymboida) Boyd Cataract Chandlers Clarence Clouds Coldstream Corindi Esk Glen Fernaigh Guy Fawkes Henry Kangaroo Little Murray Little Nymboida Mann Maryland Nowlands Nymboida Oban Orara Sandon Sara Timbarra Tooloom Towallum Urumbilum Wooli Wooli Yarrow Allans Water Backwater Billys Bookookoorara Boomi Boorook Browns Camp Cakora Lagoon Candole Carrolls Chandlers Chambigne Clear (Colongon) Clouds Coldwater Crooked Cullendore Deer Park Doughboy Five Mile Gilcurry Grahams Hells Hollow Herding Yard Jerusalem Kangaroo Hills Lake Arragan Lindsay Little Falls Macleods Majors Marengo Mole Morgans Morven Nana Nobles Nowlands Backwater Oaky Opossum Pantons Plumbago Razor Back Rocky Round Waterhole Saltwater Spring Station Tallawudjah Two Mile Wheatley Wild Cattle   Coffs Harbour, Bellingen Shire and Bellinger River catchment Bellinger Kalang Never Never Rosewood Arrawarra Boambee Boggy Bonville Bundageree Coffs Cooks Dalhousie Darkum Flat Top Point Hearns Hydes Moonee Pine Brush Pipe Clay Woods Woolgoolga Lake   Nambucca Shire, Kempsey Shire and Nambucca-Macleay rivers catchment Apsley Blue Mountain Chandler Christmas Commissioners Waters Dyke Gara Georges Kunderang Macleay Nambucca Oaky Styx Taylors Arm Tia Warnes Wollomombi Yarrowitch Bergen Op Zoom Boggy Boundary Branch Buckra Bendinni Burying Ground Carrolls Chandalina Cooney Davis Deep Dog Trap Double Hut Dungay Emu Felters Fitzroy Five Day Goolawah Lagoon Hickeys Hole Jeogla Killick Korogoro Lagoon Mackenzies Macleay Arm Maiden Missabotti Moona Munga Newee Nulla Nulla Oaky Ohio Oyster Parrabel Ponds Powers Raffertys Reedy Rowleys Ryanda Saltwater Serpentine South South West Rocks Station Stockyard Sunday Toorumbee Top Warbro Brook Washpool Winterbourne   Port Macquarie-Hastings and Hastings River catchment Camden Haven Doyles Ellenborough Forbes Hastings Maria Pappinbarra Pipers Ralfes Stewarts Thone Tobins Wilson Cathie Duchess Gully Fenwicks Glencoe Mortons Queens Lake Watson Taylors Lake Category ·  Commons

v t e River systems and rivers of New South Wales, Australia   Rivers flowing towards the Coral and Tasman seas of the South Pacific Ocean Rivers of the Northern Rivers catchment Aberfoyle Apsley Back Barcoongere Bellinger Beaury Bielsdown Blicks Blue Mountain Bobo Boonoo Boonoo Boundary (Glen Fernaigh) Boundary (Nymboida) Boyd Brunswick Camden Haven Cataract Chandler Chandlers Christmas Clarence Clouds Coldstream Commissioners Waters Coopers Corindi Doyles Dyke Eden Ellenborough Esk Evans Forbes Gara Georges Glen Fernaigh Guy Fawkes Hastings Henry Kalang Kangaroo Kunderang Leycester Little Murray Little Nymboida Macleay Mann Maria Maryland Nambucca Never Never Nowlands Nymboida Oaky Oban Orara Oxley Pappinbarra Pipers Ralfes Richmond Rosewood Rous Sandon Sandy Sara Shannon Stewarts Styx Taylors Arm Thone Tia Timbarra Tobins Tooloom Towallum Tweed Urumbilum Warnes Wilson Wilsons Wollomombi Wooli Wooli Yarrow Yarrowitch Rivers of the Hunter-Central Rivers catchment Allyn Avon Back Baerami Barigan Barnard Barrington Blackwater Bobin Bow Bowman Burns Bylong Caparra Cattle Cedar Cedar Party Cells Chichester Cobark Congewai Connollys Cooba Bulga Coolongolook Cooplacurripa Crawford Curricabark Dawson Dilgry Dingo Gloucester Goulburn Growee Hunter Isis Karuah Kerripit Krui Lansdowne Mammy Johnsons Manning Merriwa Moonan Moppy Mummel Munmurra Myall Nowendoc Pages Creek Pages River Paterson Pigna Barney Rouchel Rowleys Stewarts Telegherry The Branch Walcrow Wallamba Wallingat Wangat Wang Wauk Wards Widden Williams Wollombi Worondi Rivers of the Sydney Basin Avoca Lake Avon Bargo Bedford Budgewoi Lake Burke Capertee Cataract Colo Cooks Coorongooba Cordeaux Coxs Duck Du Faur Erskine Georges Grose Hacking Hawkesbury Hollanders Jenolan Jooriland Kanangra Kedumba Kowmung Lake Macquarie Lake Munmorah Lane Cove Little (Oberon) Little (Wingecarribee) Little (Wollondilly) Macdonald Mangrove Mogo Mooney Mooney Mulwaree Nattai Nepean Ourimbah Paddys Parramatta Pittwater River Lett Rush Tarlo Terrigal Lagoon Tonalli Tuggerah Lake Tuglow Wamberal Lagoon Warragamba Webbs Wingecarribee Wolgan Wollangambe Wollemi Wollondilly Woronora Wyong Rivers of the Southern Rivers catchment Araluen Back Bega Bemboka Bendoc Bermagui Berrima Bettowynd Bimberamala Bombala Brogo Buckenbowra Burrungubugge Clyde Coolumbooka Corang Delegate Deua Endrick Eucumbene Genoa Goobarragandra Gungarlin Imlay Ingeegoodbee Jacobs Jerrabattgulla Kangaroo Lake Illawarra Little Plains Little Thredbo Maclaughlin Merimbula Lake Merrica Minnamurra Mongarlowe Moruya Mowamba Murrah Nadgee Nullica Nunnock Pambula Pinch Port Kembla Queensborough Queens Pound Shoalhaven Snowy St Georges Basin Thredbo Tomaga Towamba Tuross Twofold Bay Undowah Wadbilliga Wallagaraugh White Rock Wog Wog Wonboyn Yadboro Yowaka Yowrie   Rivers of the Murray–Darling basin Abercrombie Abington Adelong Adjungbilly Bakers Balgalal Barmedman Barwon Beardy Beardy Waters Bell Belubula Berthong Big Badja Billabong (Junee) Birrie Blakney Bland Bluff Bogan Bokhara Bolong Boomi Boorowa Bowning Bredbo Bulla Bundock Burkes Burra (Palerang) Burra (Gundagai) Cadiangullong Campbells Carole Castlereagh Cheshire Cobrabald Cockburn Cooks Vale Coolaburragundy Coolibah Watercourse Cooma Cooma Back Cowriga Crookwell Crudine Cudgegong Culgoa Cullinga Darling Deepwater Derringullen Duckmaloi Dumaresq Dungowan Edward Emu Swamp Evans Plains Ewenmar Felled Timber Fish Flyers Frazers Geehi Goobarragandra Goodradigbee Goorudee Gunningbland Gwydir Halls Happy Jacks Horsearm Horton Isabella Jeir Jerra Jerra Jerrara Jerrawa Jugiong Kindra Kybeyan Lachlan Little Murray Little Little Weir Macdonald Macquarie Macintyre Manilla Mehi Meroo Mirrool Mole Molonglo Mooki Moonie Murray Murrumbidgee Muttama Nass Namoi Narran Niemur Numeralla Paddys Paroo Peak Peel Peelwood Phils Pinchgut Pudman Queanbeyan Queen Charlottes Quegobla Quirindi Reedy Retreat Rock Flat Rocky Rocky Ponds Rufus Sandy (Bland) Sandy (Cobar) Sandy (Tamowrth) Severn Sewells Strike-a-Light Summer Hill Swampy Plain Talbragar Tooma Tumut Turon Wakool Warrego Yarrangobilly Yass Category ·  Commons

Coordinates: 30°52′S 153°01′E / 30.867°S 153.017°E / -30.867; 153.017