Roper River
Encyclopedia
The Roper River is one of the largest rivers in the Northern Territory
, Australia
, extending east for over 500 km to meet the sea in Limmen Bight
on the Gulf of Carpentaria
. It is navigable for about 145 km, until the tidal limit at Roper Bar
, and forms the southern boundary of the region known as Arnhem Land
. Mataranka Hot Springs and the township of Mataranka lie close to the river at its western end. Port Roper lies near its mouth on Limmen Bight.
The first European to explore the Roper River was Ludwig Leichhardt
in 1845 as he made his way from Moreton Bay
to Port Essington
. Leichhardt crossed the river at Roper Bar, a rocky shelf which conveniently lies at the high tide limit on the river. He named the river after John Roper
, a member of the expedition.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, extending east for over 500 km to meet the sea in Limmen Bight
Limmen Bight
Limmen Bight is a bight, or large, open bay, at the western end of the Gulf of Carpentaria, northern Australia, about 360 km east of the town of Katherine. It was named in April 1644 by Abel Tasman for one of his ships on his voyage of exploration along the northern Australian coast...
on the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
. It is navigable for about 145 km, until the tidal limit at Roper Bar
Roper Bar, Northern Territory
Roper Bar is a location in Australia's Northern Territory. This part of Australia is extremely remote for travellers although there are a number of Aboriginal communities in the region including Ngukurr, Urapunga and Minyerri...
, and forms the southern boundary of the region known as Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
. Mataranka Hot Springs and the township of Mataranka lie close to the river at its western end. Port Roper lies near its mouth on Limmen Bight.
The first European to explore the Roper River was Ludwig Leichhardt
Ludwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
in 1845 as he made his way from Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
to Port Essington
Port Essington
Port Essington is an inlet and historic site located on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory...
. Leichhardt crossed the river at Roper Bar, a rocky shelf which conveniently lies at the high tide limit on the river. He named the river after John Roper
John Roper
John Roper may refer to:*John Roper, Baron Roper , British politician*John Roper , former American football linebacker*John Roper , Major League Baseball pitcher...
, a member of the expedition.