Gairdner River
Encyclopedia
Gairdner River is a river located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia
. There is another Gairdner River in Western Australia, located in the Kimberley region.
The river originates in farm land north of the South Coastal Highway between Needilup
and Jacup on the Yilgarn plateau
about 320 metres (1,050 ft) sea level, then flows in a south-easterly direction crossing the South Coast Highway
east of Jerramungup
then through the Fitzgerald River National Park
until it terminates in Gordon Inlet
.
The tributaries
that flow into the river are Cobomup Creek, Needilup River, Pingamup River, Spring Creek, Wilgerup Creek, Scott Creek and Duleep Creek.
About 60% of the catchment has been cleared for sheep and grains farming and as a result the water quality has become saline. Salinity levels vary from 3‰ after rains when the river is flowing to 50‰ during the summer time.
The river was named after Gordon Gairdner, a senior clerk and head of the Australian and Eastern Departments at the Colonial Office, by John Septimus Roe
in 1848.
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...
. There is another Gairdner River in Western Australia, located in the Kimberley region.
The river originates in farm land north of the South Coastal Highway between Needilup
Needilup, Western Australia
Needilup is a town in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia that is situated between Ongerup and Jerramungup along the Gnowangerup-Jerramungup Road....
and Jacup on the Yilgarn plateau
Yilgarn craton
The Yilgarn Craton is a large craton which constitutes the bulk of the Western Australian land mass. It is bounded by a mixture of sedimentary basins and Proterozoic fold and thrust belts...
about 320 metres (1,050 ft) sea level, then flows in a south-easterly direction crossing the South Coast Highway
South Coast Highway
South Coast Highway is a Western Australia highway. It is a part of the Highway 1 network.With a length of , it runs from Esperance to Walpole roughly in parallel to the Western Australia's south coast...
east of Jerramungup
Jerramungup, Western Australia
Jerramungup is a Western Australian town located in the Great Southern agricultural region, southeast of Perth just west of the Gairdner River. The town of Jerramungup was established in 1953 as a war service settlement area...
then through the Fitzgerald River National Park
Fitzgerald River National Park
Fitzgerald River National Park is a national park in Western Australia , southeast of Perth, in the Shire of Ravensthorpe and the Shire of Jerramungup....
until it terminates in Gordon Inlet
Gordon Inlet
Gordon Inlet is an estuarine inlet, located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. The inlet is at the south west corner of the Fitzgerald River National Park and approximately north west of the town of Bremer Bay....
.
The 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...
that flow into the river are Cobomup Creek, Needilup River, Pingamup River, Spring Creek, Wilgerup Creek, Scott Creek and Duleep Creek.
About 60% of the catchment has been cleared for sheep and grains farming and as a result the water quality has become saline. Salinity levels vary from 3‰ after rains when the river is flowing to 50‰ during the summer time.
The river was named after Gordon Gairdner, a senior clerk and head of the Australian and Eastern Departments at the Colonial Office, by John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, and a Member of Western Australia's Legislative and Executive Councils for nearly 40 years.-Early life:...
in 1848.