Macalister River
The Macalister River, a perennial river of the West Gippsland catchment, is located in the Alpine and Gippsland regions of the Australian state of Victoria.
| Macalister | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Etymology | In honour of Captain Lachlan Macalister[1][2] |
| Native name | Wirnwirndook'yeerung[3][4] |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Victoria |
| Region | Victorian Alps (IBRA), South East Coastal Plain (IBRA), West Gippsland |
| Local government area | Shire of Wellington |
| Settlements | Maffra |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Great Dividing Range |
| • location | below Mount Howitt |
| • coordinates | 37°10′18″S 146°39′37″E |
| • elevation | 1,550 m (5,090 ft) |
| Mouth | confluence with the Thomson River |
• location | south of Maffra |
• coordinates | 38°2′18″S 146°58′52″E |
• elevation | 14 m (46 ft) |
| Length | 177 km (110 mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | mouth |
| Basin features | |
| River system | West Gippsland catchment |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Caledonia River, Wellington River, Stony Creek 2 (Macalister River, Victoria), Main Northern Channel |
| • right | Peters Creek (Victoria), Coleman Creek (Victoria), Grimme Creek, Barkly River, Target Creek, Serpentine Creek, Mount Useful Creek, Cheyne Creek, Stony Creek 1 (Macalister River, Victoria), Glenmaggie Creek, Main Serpentine Drain |
| National park | Alpine NP, Avon Wilderness Park |
| [5] | |
Location and features
The Macalister River rises below Mount Howitt, part of the Great Dividing Range in the southern portion of the Alpine National Park; and flows generally south by east in a highly meandering course. The river is joined by fifteen tributaries including the Caledonia, Wellington, and Barkly rivers, impounded by the Glenmaggie Dam that creates Lake Glenmaggie, before reaching its confluence with the Thomson River, south of Maffra. The river descends 1,530 metres (5,020 ft) over its 177-kilometre (110 mi) course.[5] The fertile flats and valley floor of the Macalister River support agriculture around the town of Licola.
Etymology
In the Australian Aboriginal Brataualung language the river was named Wirnwirndook'yeerun, meaning the "song of some bird",[3] purportedly an emu wren.[4]
The river was later named the Macalister River by explorer Angus McMillan, after his then employer, Captain Lachlan Macalister.[1][2]
References
- Blake, Les (1977). Place names of Victoria. Adelaide: Rigby. p. 294. ISBN 0-7270-0250-3., cited in Bird (2006)
- Bird, Eric (12 October 2006). "Place Names on the Coast of Victoria" (PDF). The Australian National Placename Survey (ANPS). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2011.
- "Macalister River: 20119: Traditional Name: Wirnwirndook'yeerung". Vicnames. Government of Victoria. 12 May 2011. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
- "Macalister River: 20119: Traditional name: Wirnwirndook'yeerung". Vicnames. Government of Victoria. 12 August 2011. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
- "Map of Macalister River, VIC". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
External links
- "West Gippsland Regional Catchment Strategy (2013 - 2019)" (PDF – 4MB). West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority. 2012. ISBN 978-0-9805562-8-5.
- "Latrobe Catchment Ecosystem" (PDF). West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2011.
Rivers of the West Gippsland catchment, Victoria, Australia | |
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