Roe River (Western Australia)

Roe River
Origin Bushfire Hill
Mouth York Sound
Basin countries Australia
Length 66 kilometres (41 mi)
Source elevation 274 metres (899 ft)[1]
Mouth elevation sea level
Basin area 3,278 square kilometres (1,266 sq mi)[2]

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

The headwaters of the river rise in the Prince Regent Nature Reserve below Bushfire Hill then flow in a north westerly direction. The river discharges into Prince Frederick Harbour to York Sound and out onto the Indian Ocean. The river contains several permanent pools, including Paradise Pool where several examples of Indigenous Australian art known as Bradshaw paintings can be found along the cliff faces.[3]

The river has five tributaries including; Moran river, Wyulda Creek and Rufous Creek.

The river was named in 1820 by Philip Parker King after the father of Midshipman John Eptimus Roe,[4]during his voyage in the Mermaid, he also named Prince Frederick Harbour, Prince Regent River and the nearby Mount Trafalger during the same visit.[5]

The first European to trace the Roe from its source to its outflow was the explorer Frederick Brockman in 1884.

The river has a total of seven freshwater fish species that inhabit its waters.

References

  1. "Bonzle Digital Atlas – Map of Roe River". 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
  2. "The Kimberley River Environment". 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
  3. "Bradshaw Foundation - Rock Art Archives". 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  4. Mars den
  5. "The Kimberely Society - Joseph Bradshaw getting lost in the Kimberley". 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2010.

Coordinates: 15°08′16″S 125°23′11″E / 15.13778°S 125.38639°E