Canning River (Western Australia)
Encyclopedia
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...
of the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
in south western
Southwest, Western Australia
The Southwest is a loosely defined area in the southwest corner of Western Australia. Various regionalisations have provided formal definitions of the area, but these do not coincide.* For the drainage division, see Southwest corner of Western Australia...
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...
.
Source and route
With headwaters on the Darling ScarpDarling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
, the Canning meanders through suburbs of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
on the Swan Coastal Plain
Swan Coastal Plain
The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geological and biological zone, one of Western Australia's...
, including Cannington
Cannington, Western Australia
Cannington is a southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Canning.-History:Cannington's name derives from the Canning River, which forms part of the southwestern boundary of the suburb...
, Thornlie
Thornlie, Western Australia
Thornlie is a large outer suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 18 kilometres south-east of Perth's central business district. It is part of the City of Gosnells local government area. The Canning River runs through the northern side of the suburb...
, Riverton
Riverton, Western Australia
Riverton is a suburb of Perth in Western Australia.-Location:Riverton is situated about 14 km or 15 minutes from Perth. The Canning River makes some of its north eastern boundary. It is part of the City of Canning, situated south east of the Swan River...
, Shelley
Shelley, Western Australia
Shelley is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Canning.-Education:Shelley has one primary school located within its borders. The first is Shelley Primary School which is off Monota Avenue...
, Rossmoyne
Rossmoyne, Western Australia
Rossmoyne is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, within the City of Canning. Rossmoyne is located south of central Perth, and is bounded by Leach Highway to the south, the Bull Creek to the west, the Canning River to the north, and Shelley to the east....
and Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, Western Australia
Mount Pleasant is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville on the Canning River.Mount Pleasant hosts the Head of the River Rowing event, as part of the Public Schools Association, an elite boys schools association in Perth....
, before joining the Swan at Melville Water
Melville Water
Melville Water is a significant section of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. It is located west of and downstream of Perth Water from which it is separated by the Narrows Bridge.-Name:...
just downstream of the Canning Bridge
Canning Bridge
Canning Bridge is a traffic bridge which is the most downstream crossing of the Canning River in the city of Perth, Western Australia. The bridge is a part of Canning Highway, and it connects the suburbs of Como and Applecross. The Canning River is approximately 100 metres wide at the crossing,...
.
History
The first European contact was in 1801 when a French exploring party spotted the mouth. The crew subsequently named the mouth Entrée Moreau after Charles Moreau, a midshipmanMidshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
with the party.
The Canning River received its contemporary name in 1827 when Captain James Stirling aboard the HMS Success
HMS Success (1825)
HMS Success was an Atholl-class 28-gun sixth-rate wooden sailing ship notable for exploring Western Australia and the Swan River in 1827 as well as being one of the first ships to arrive at the fledgling Swan River Colony two years later, at which time she ran aground off Carnac Island.- History...
following an examination of the region in March 1827 named the river after George Canning
George Canning
George Canning PC, FRS was a British statesman and politician who served as Foreign Secretary and briefly Prime Minister.-Early life: 1770–1793:...
, an eminent British statesman who was Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time and whose government facilitated the funds for the expedition.
In November 1829, just five months after the founding of the Swan River Colony in Western Australia, an exploring party led by now Governor James Stirling chose a site for a new town named Kelmscott
Kelmscott
Kelmscott is a village and civil parish on the River Thames in West Oxfordshire, about east of Lechlade in neighbouring Gloucestershire.-Parish church:...
on the banks of the Canning River.
Convicts
Convicts constructed the Canning River Convict Fence for the use of barges carrying timber from Mason's Timber Mill in the Darling Ranges is a notable landmark still to this day.The river is home to much wildlife including dolphins, pelicans, swans and many other bird species.
Algae Bloom
Algal bloomAlgal bloom
An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system. Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically, only one or a small number of phytoplankton species are involved, and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration...
s occur naturally in the Canning River system, they are caused by a buildup of nutrients in the river. Human activities including farming, residential gardens and parklands are the major causes of increases in levels, the blooms are potentially toxic to both mammal and marine life. The Swan River Trust monitors the levels of nutrients and growth of the algae issuing warnings and closing sections of the river to all activities. The Trust also operates cleanup programs to reduce the amount of nutrients reaching the river, as well phosphorus removal and oxygenation in areas were blooms have been identified.
The Trust is encouraged by the appearance of Azolla carpets on sections of the Canning River as this fern is known to reduce the amount of sunlight available to the algae as well as absorbing large amounts of phosphorus and other nutrients from the water. However, it is possible that Azolla carpets can cause deoxygenation and emit a strong sulfur smell.
See also
- Head of the River (Australia)Head of the River (Australia)The Head of the River is a name given to annual Australian rowing regattas held in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia...
- Mount Henry
- Canning DamCanning DamThe Canning Dam and reservoir provide a major fresh water resource for the city of Perth, Western Australia. The dam is situated on the Darling Scarp and is an impoundment of the Canning River. It is noted for its innovative structural and hydraulic design that was considered to be at the forefront...
- Canning River Regional ParkCanning River Regional ParkThe Canning River Regional Park is the largest of eight Regional Parks within the Perth metropolitan area. The park covers approximately 6 km of the Canning River between Nicholson Rd and Shelley Bridge...