Timbarra River (Victoria)
Encyclopedia
The Timbarra River is a river in East Gippsland
, Victoria
, Australia
. It rises on the Nunniong Plains about 30 km east of Omeo
in the Great Dividing Range
and flows in a convoluted southerly direction to its confluence with the Tambo River
about 10 km south-east of Tambo Crossing
.
ed mountain areas and steep gorges, with a bed of gravel
, boulder
s and mud
and numerous pools
. Along its route it passes through the small settlement of Timbarra, about 30 km north-west of Buchan
.
The river forms part of the Tambo and Nicholson Basin
, and is one of the major tributaries
of the Tambo River.
The major tributaries of the Timbarra River include Wilkinson Creek and the Back River.
The isolated Timbarra River Gorge, 8 km north of Timbarra, has been classified as a site of local significance by the Geological Society of Australia
.
condition, and maintains a reliable year-round flow.
Although access to the river is difficult, it remains popular for fishing
, especially for the introduced brown trout
which spawn
naturally in the river without the need for artificial stocking
. Native fish found in the river include the vulnerable
Australian grayling
, the river blackfish
, tupong, and eel
s.
One of the sports houses at Swifts Creek Secondary College is named after the Timbarra River.
East Gippsland
East Gippsland is the eastern region of Gippsland, Australia covering 31,740 square kilometres of Victoria. It has a population of 80,114....
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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...
. It rises on the Nunniong Plains about 30 km east of Omeo
Omeo, Victoria
Omeo is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Alpine Road, east of Mount Hotham, in the Shire of East Gippsland. At the 2006 census, Omeo had a population of 452. The name is derived from the Aboriginal word for 'mountains' or 'hills'...
in the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
and flows in a convoluted southerly direction to its confluence with the Tambo River
Tambo River (Victoria)
The Tambo River is a river in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia with a total length in excess of 170 km. It is the longest river in the Tambo and Nicholson Basin, extending from the steep forested southern slopes of the Australian Alps through forest and farmland to the Gippsland...
about 10 km south-east of Tambo Crossing
Tambo Crossing, Victoria
Tambo Crossing is a locality and small farming community in the Shire of East Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. It is alongside the Tambo River on the Great Alpine Road, north-east of Bairnsdale, surrounded by state forest...
.
Course
The Timbarra River flows predominantly through forestForest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
ed mountain areas and steep gorges, with a bed of gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
, boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
s and mud
Mud
Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...
and numerous pools
Stream pool
A stream pool, in hydrology, is a stretch of a river or stream in which the water depth is above average and the water velocity is quite below average.-Formation:...
. Along its route it passes through the small settlement of Timbarra, about 30 km north-west of Buchan
Buchan, Victoria
Buchan is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on Buchan Road, in the Shire of East Gippsland near the Snowy River. At the 2006 census, Buchan and the surrounding area had a population of 326....
.
The river forms part of the Tambo and Nicholson Basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, and is one of the major 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...
of the Tambo River.
The major tributaries of the Timbarra River include Wilkinson Creek and the Back River.
The isolated Timbarra River Gorge, 8 km north of Timbarra, has been classified as a site of local significance by the Geological Society of Australia
Geological Society of Australia
The Geological Society of Australia was established as a non-profit organisation in 1952 to promote, advance and support earth sciences in Australia...
.
Ecology and recreation
The Timbarra River is in good environmentalNatural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
condition, and maintains a reliable year-round flow.
Although access to the river is difficult, it remains popular for fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, especially for the introduced brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
which spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
naturally in the river without the need for artificial stocking
Fish stock
Fish stocks are subpopulations of a particular species of fish, for which intrinsic parameters are the only significant factors in determining population dynamics, while extrinsic factors are considered to be insignificant.-The stock concept:All species have geographic limits to their...
. Native fish found in the river include the vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
Australian grayling
Australian grayling
The Australian grayling is a primarily freshwater fish found in coastal rivers in Tasmania and south-eastern Australia. In past decades it has also been known as the “cucumber mullet” or “cucumber herring,” for its cucumber-like odor.-Description and Diet:The Australian grayling is a streamlined...
, the river blackfish
River Blackfish
The river blackfish, is an Australian native freshwater fish of the Murray-Darling river system, found from southern Queensland through to central Victoria. It is also found in some eastern and southern flowing coastal rivers...
, tupong, and eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
s.
One of the sports houses at Swifts Creek Secondary College is named after the Timbarra River.