May River

May River
Origin Lennard River
Mouth King Sound
Basin countries Australia
Length 69 kilometres (43 mi)[1]
Source elevation 45 metres (148 ft)[2]
Mouth elevation sea level
Basin area 13,188 square kilometres (5,092 sq mi)[3]

The May River is a river in the Kimberley of Western Australia.

The river is formed when the Lennard River splits into two channels north of Mount Marmion and near the Kimberley Downs Station homestead, the other channel being the Meda River. Continuing to flow west north-westward through Poulton Pool until the river eventually discharges into Stokes Bay, King Sound which is north-east of Derby.

The river was named in 1881 by a pioneer of the area, George Julius Brockman during an expedition in the Kimberley area looking for grazing land north of the Fitzroy River. He named the river after the granddaughter of John Septimus Roe, Mary Matilda (May) Thomson.

The only tributaries of the May and the Lennard and Camiara Creek.

The Northern river shark is known to inhabit the tidal region of the river and has been found further upstream.[4] Barramundi and Cherrabun are also caught in the river pools after the wet season.[5]

References

  1. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of river names". Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  2. "Bonzle Digital Atlas – Map of May River". 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  3. "Modelled seabed response to possible climate change scenarios over the next 50 years in the Australian Northwest". CSIRO. 1 March 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  4. "The northern river shark (Glyphis sp. C) in Western Australia - Report to the National Trust". 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  5. "Berby Tourism = Fishing". 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.

Coordinates: 17°07′S 123°50′E / 17.117°S 123.833°E