Balla Balla River
Encyclopedia
Balla Balla River is a river
in the Pilbara region
of Western Australia
.
The river rises on the southern side of Yirrakulanna Hills and flows in a north easterly direction crossing the North West Coastal Highway
near the Whim Creek Stranger mine then finally discharging into Balla Balla harbour near Depuch Island
in the Indian Ocean
.
The river is ephemeral and can be completely dry in the summer months, but during periodic flood events the water level can rise over 5.5 metres (18 ft). The riparian vegetation is dominated by River Red Gum
s.
The river has three tributaries
including; Whim Creek, Louden Creek and Caporn Creek.
The river name was recorded in 1878 by John Forrest
, who was surveying
the area at the time. The name is believed to be aboriginal in origin and is thought to come from the Kanyarra word Parla which means mud.
The traditional owners of the area are the Ngarluma peoples, who inhabited the region around the Balla Balla, the Maitland
and the Sherlock Rivers.
The area to the west of the river is rich in magnetite
.
A town named Ballaballa that was gazetted in 1898 was once located near the river mouth which acted as a port
for the Whim Creek Copper
Mine.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the Pilbara region
Regions of Western Australia
Regionalisations of Western Australia are systems by which Western Australia is divided into distinct geographic regions. The most commonly known regionalisation is the governmental division of the state into regions for economic development purposes, of which there are nine.Other regionalisations...
of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The river rises on the southern side of Yirrakulanna Hills and flows in a north easterly direction crossing the North West Coastal Highway
North West Coastal Highway
North West Coastal Highway in Western Australia is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the fishing town of Geraldton with the iron ore port of Port Hedland. It is long, and constructed as a sealed 2-lane single carriageway with overtaking lanes in some parts. It was...
near the Whim Creek Stranger mine then finally discharging into Balla Balla harbour near Depuch Island
Depuch Island
Depuch Island is a volcanic island located off the north-west coast of Western Australia's Pilbara region, near Port Hedland.-Aboriginal significance:...
in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
The river is ephemeral and can be completely dry in the summer months, but during periodic flood events the water level can rise over 5.5 metres (18 ft). The riparian vegetation is dominated by River Red Gum
River Red Gum
The River Red Gum is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. It is one of around 800 in the genus. It is a plantation species in many parts of the world, but is native to Australia, where it is widespread, especially beside inland water courses...
s.
The river has three tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
including; Whim Creek, Louden Creek and Caporn Creek.
The river name was recorded in 1878 by John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
, who was surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
the area at the time. The name is believed to be aboriginal in origin and is thought to come from the Kanyarra word Parla which means mud.
The traditional owners of the area are the Ngarluma peoples, who inhabited the region around the Balla Balla, the Maitland
Maitland River
The Maitland River is a river in southwestern Ontario, Canada, which empties into Lake Huron in the town of Goderich, Ontario. The river is 150 km in length....
and the Sherlock Rivers.
The area to the west of the river is rich in magnetite
Magnetite
Magnetite is a ferrimagnetic mineral with chemical formula Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. The chemical IUPAC name is iron oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-ferric oxide. The formula for magnetite may also be written as FeO·Fe2O3, which is one part...
.
A town named Ballaballa that was gazetted in 1898 was once located near the river mouth which acted as a port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
for the Whim Creek Copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
Mine.