Drysdale River

Drysdale River
A canoeing expedition on the Drysdale River
Map
Location
CountryAustralia
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationCaroline Ranges
 • elevation329 metres (1,079 ft)[1]
Mouth 
 • location
Napier Broome Bay
 • elevation
sea level
Length432 kilometres (268 mi)[2]
Basin size26,019 square kilometres (10,046 sq mi)[3]
Discharge 
 • average1,080,553 ML/a (34.2407 m3/s; 1,209.197 cu ft/s)[4]

Drysdale River is a river in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The river rises in the Caroline Ranges, flows in a northerly direction and discharges into Napier Broome Bay near Kalumburu. The river contains several permanent pools, some of which have several examples of Indigenous Australian art known as Bradshaw paintings that can be found along the cliff faces.[5]

Notable waterfalls on the river are the Eagle Falls, which are regularly visited by Kimberley coastal cruise ships,[6] Solea Falls north of the Johnston Creek fork, and Bango Falls on the tributary Bango Creek.

There are 19 tributaries of the Drysdale, including Gibb River, Woodhouse River, Barton River, Tadarida Creek, Wax Creek, Curlew Creek, King David Creek, Ubach Creek and Damper Creek.

15% of the river's catchment area lies within Drysdale River National Park.[7]

The river was named after a director of the Victorian Squatting Company, Thomas Andrew Drysdale, by the company's surveyor Charles Burrowes, in 1886.[8][9][10]

The traditional owners of the area that the river flows through are the Ngarinjin, Miwa and Wilawila peoples.[11]

  1. ^ "Bonzle Digital Atlas - Map of Drysdale River, WA". 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  2. ^ "History of river names – D". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  3. ^ "Australian Natural Resource Atlas - Landscape - carbon, nutrients, water and productivity - Drysdale River". 2007. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  4. ^ "Department of Water - Water Resources Data - Streamflow Sites- Drysdale River Solea Falls". 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  5. ^ "Bradshaw Foundation - Rock Art Archives". 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Australia for Everyone: Waterfalls - Kimberley region, WA". Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  7. ^ "National Water commission - Regional Water Resource Assessment - Drysdale River". 2005. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  8. ^ "The Cambridge Downs Country". The West Australian. Perth, WA. 26 July 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Drysdaliana". The Herald. Melbourne. 1 September 1945. p. 4. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  10. ^ "News and notes". The West Australian. Perth, WA. 18 October 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  11. ^ "AusAnthrop Australian Aboriginal tribal database". 2009. Archived from the original on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2012.