Hunter River (New South Wales)

Hunter River
Coquon P.T.O., First Hunter Creek, Coal River[1]
Ship entering the mouth of the Hunter River at Newcastle
Map
EtymologyIn honour of John Hunter[1]
Native nameCoquun (Awabakal)
Location
CountryAustralia
StateNew South Wales
RegionNSW North Coast (IBRA), Sydney Basin (IBRA), Hunter
Local government areasUpper Hunter, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Maitland, Dungog, Port Stephens, Newcastle
Major settlements and townsAberdeen, Muswellbrook, Denman, Jerrys Plains, Singleton, Maitland, Morpeth, Raymond Terrace, Newcastle
Physical characteristics
SourceMount Royal Range, Liverpool Range
 • locationwithin Barrington Tops National Park, Upper Hunter
 • coordinates31°53′36.5″S 151°27′04.4″E / 31.893472°S 151.451222°E / -31.893472; 151.451222
 • elevation1,420 m (4,660 ft)
MouthTasman Sea
 • location
between Nobbys Head and Stockton
 • coordinates
32°55′S 151°47′E / 32.92°S 151.79°E / -32.92; 151.79
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length300 km (190 mi)[2]
Basin size21,367 km2 (8,250 sq mi)[2]
Discharge 
 • locationNear mouth
 • average60 m3/s (1,900,000 ML/a)[3] 52.4 m3/s (1,650 GL/a)[4]
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftMoonan Brook, Stewarts Brook, Paterson River, Williams River
 • rightPages Creek, Pages River, Goulburn River, Wollombi Brook
BridgesEllerston, Aberdeen, Muswellbrook, Denman, Golden Highway, Singleton (x3), Elderslie, Melville Ford, Bolwarra Heights (rail), Maitland, Lorn, Morpeth, Millers Forest/Nelsons Plains, Hexham, Ash Island, Kooragang (rail), Tourle Street, Stockton
National parkBarrington Tops
[5][6]

The Hunter River (Wonnarua: Coquun[7]) is a major river in New South Wales, Australia. The Hunter River rises in the Liverpool Range and flows generally south and then east, reaching the Tasman Sea at Newcastle, the second largest city in New South Wales and a major harbour port. Its lower reaches form an open and trained mature wave dominated barrier estuary.[8]

  1. ^ a b "Hunter River". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 March 2013. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b "Estuaries of NSW: Hunter River". Office of Environment & Heritage. Government of New South Wales. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Surface Water Management Area: Hunter River - Regulated". Archived from the original on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2024-07-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ "East Coastal Watersheds".
  5. ^ "Map of Hunter River (1), NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  6. ^ "Map of Hunter River (2), NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Media Release, Indigenous Naming Comes To Newcastle" (PDF). Geographical Names Board NSW Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  8. ^ Roy, P. S; Williams, R. J; Jones, A. R; Yassini, I; et al. (2001). "Structure and Function of South-east Australian Estuaries". Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 53: 351–384. doi:10.1006/ecss.2001.0796.