River Torrens
View of Elder Park and Riverside Precinct from Torrens Lake.
Origin	Mount Pleasant, Mount Lofty Ranges
Mouth	Gulf Saint Vincent at Henley Beach South
Length	~85 kilometres (53 mi)
Source elevation	480 metres
Basin area	~500 km²

The River Torrens is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains. It was one of the reasons for the siting of Adelaide, and reservoirs in its upper catchment supply a significant amount of the city's drinking water. It flows from its source in the Adelaide Hills near Mount Pleasant, across the Adelaide Plains, past the central business district and empties into Gulf St. Vincent at Henley Beach South. The upper stretches of the river and its catchment form a significant part of Adelaide’s water supply and the linear parks and lake in the lower stretch are iconic of the city. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... [[ == Headline text == This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Mount Pleasant is a town situated at the northern end of the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia, 55 kilometres east-north-east of the state capital, Adelaide (). It is located in the Barossa Council and Mid Murray Council local government areas, and is at an altitude of 440 metres... Mount Lofty Summit The Mount Lofty Ranges are the range of mountains to the east of Adelaide in South Australia. ... Gulf St. ... km redirects here. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... [[ == Headline text == This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... The Adelaide Plains (34°30′ S 138°30′ E) is the area in South Australia between the Mount Lofty Ranges on the east and the Gulf Saint Vincent on the west. ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... A catchment is any device or structure that captures water. ... Mount Pleasant is a town situated at the northern end of the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia, 55 kilometres east-north-east of the state capital, Adelaide (). It is located in the Barossa Council and Mid Murray Council local government areas, and is at an altitude of 440 metres... The Adelaide Plains (34°30′ S 138°30′ E) is the area in South Australia between the Mount Lofty Ranges on the east and the Gulf Saint Vincent on the west. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Gulf St. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... A water supply system provides water to the locations that need it. ... A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake (from Latin lacus) is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size contained on a body of land. ...

At its 1836 discovery an inland bend was chosen as the site of Adelaide and North Adelaide. The river is named after Colonel Robert Torrens. At Adelaide, is also known its by native Kaurna name Karra wirra-parri. The river, and its tributaries, are highly variable in flow. They range from sometimes raging torrents, damaging bridges and flooding city areas, to trickles or completely dry in summer. Winter and spring flooding has prompted the construction of flood reduction works. Peak flow is contained by a constructed sea outlet, landscaped linear parks and three holding reservoirs. North Adelaide is the predominately residential suburb north of the River Torrens but within the Adelaide Parklands. ... .Colonel Robert Torrens (1780 – 1864) was a British army officer and owner of the influential Globe newspaper. ... The Kaurna (pronounced Garner or Gowna) people are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands lie in and around the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. ...

The river's flora and fauna have been both deliberately and accidentally impacted since settlement. Native forests have been cleared, the rivers gravel removed for construction and many foreign species introduced. With construction of the linear parks, many species native to the river have been replanted and introduced species controlled as weeds. Since European settlement the river has been the city’s primary water source, its main sewer leading to outbreaks of typhus and cholera, and a frequently touted tourist attraction.^[1] The History of South Australia from 1831 to 1842, is the account of the formative years of the province of South Australia from the period of the formation of the South Australian Land Company to the commencement of the Legislative Assembly in 1842. ... A sewer is an artificial conduit or system of conduits used to remove sewage (human liquid waste) and to provide drainage. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Epidemic typhus. ... Cholera (or Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera) is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Geography and geology

Torrens catchment, creeks and reservoirs

The River Torrens runs largely westward from the Adelaide hills, through the centre of Adelaide to the Gulf Saint Vincent. It originates near Mount Pleasant,close to the eastern escarpment of the Mount Lofty Ranges, approximately 480 metres above sea level. It runs predominantly along faulted north-south ground structures, which were formed during the Paleozoic era but further dislocated during the Cretaceous and earliest Tertiary. There is a 400 metre subsidence along the para fault, formed after the Pliocene, which also affects the rivers flow.^[2] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 566 pixelsFull resolution (1195 × 846 pixel, file size: 129 KB, MIME type: image/png) Self created map of the River Torrens catchment and major creeks. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 566 pixelsFull resolution (1195 × 846 pixel, file size: 129 KB, MIME type: image/png) Self created map of the River Torrens catchment and major creeks. ... Gulf St. ... Mount Pleasant is a town situated at the northern end of the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia, 55 kilometres east-north-east of the state capital, Adelaide (). It is located in the Barossa Council and Mid Murray Council local government areas, and is at an altitude of 440 metres... In geology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves an elevation differential, often involving high cliffs. ... Mount Lofty Summit The Mount Lofty Ranges are the range of mountains to the east of Adelaide in South Australia. ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level. ... Geologic faults, fault lines or simply faults are planar rock fractures, which show evidence of relative movement. ... The Paleozoic Era (from the Greek palaio, old and zoion, animals, meaning ancient life) is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. ... The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... Tertiary geological time interval covers roughly the time span between the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs and beginning of the most recent Ice Age, approximately 65 million to 1. ... A road destroyed by subsidence and shear. ... The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ...

From its origin to Birdwood the river follows rolling, relatively level country before entering a hilly section that continues to Gumeracha. The river then follows sedimentary rock strata before entering a gorge after Cudlee Creek. It flows through the gorge to Athelstone, passing over the Eden fault zone of the Adelaide hills face and associated escarpment. After the scarp it flows over sedimentary rocks of varying resistance to erosion, which has led to interspersed narrows and broad basins.^[2] From the base of the Adelaide hills to Adelaide's central business district it runs in a shallow valley with a terraced floor, then down the slope of its own alluvial fan. The structure of this fan shows that the river formerly entered Gulf Saint Vincent via the Port River. Over time the Torrens deposited sediment, choking its own outflow, then became diverted and locked behind coastal sand dunes, forming the swampy areas of the Cowandilla plains and the reedbeds.^[2] Birdwood (34°49′S 138°57′E, population 1000) is a Australian town in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. ... Gumeracha (pronounced , gumma-racka) ( ; postcode 5233) is a town near Adelaide, South Australia, located on the Adelaide-Mannum Road. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... For other uses, see strata (novel) and strata title. ... Grand Canyon, Arizona Noravank Monastery complex and canyon in Armenia. ... See Cudlee Creek. ... Athelstone (pronounced ) is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Campbelltown. ... The Waterfall Gully waterfall in the Adelaide Foothills The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. For erosion as an operation of Mathematical morphology, see Erosion (morphology) Erosion is displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock and other particles) by the agents of ocean currents, wind, water, or ice by downward or down-slope movement... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A vast alluvial fan blossoms across the desolate landscape between the Kunlun and Altun mountain ranges that form the southern border of the Taklimakan Desert in China’s XinJiang Province. ... Port River is a river that runs through Port Adelaide, a part of the capital of South Australia, Adelaide. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Cowandilla is a suburb of Adelaide, in the City of West Torrens. ...

Tributaries

Second Creek near St Peters, showing its current concrete form

The Torrens is fed by numerous seasonal creeks, which are dry for most of the year. There are five main creeks that join from the south side as it crosses the Adelaide Plains east of Adelaide, and at least five more in its path through the Adelaide Hills.^[3] The plains tributaries are prosaically named First to Fifth creeks, with First being the closest to Adelaide's city-centre and the rest numbered consecutively eastward. They flow vigorously in winter and spring but are otherwise dry, except for small flows in limited areas upstream.^[4] The creeks were originally named Greenhill, Hallett, Todd, Anstey and Ormsley rivulets respectively. "Moriatta" a Kaurna word meaning "ever flowing" is now the official name of Fourth creek. This name has been adapted to Morialta which is now the name of an electoral district, school and the Morialta Conservation Park.^[5] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The Adelaide Plains (34°30′ S 138°30′ E) is the area in South Australia between the Mount Lofty Ranges on the east and the Gulf Saint Vincent on the west. ... The Kaurna (pronounced Garner or Gowna) people are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands lie in and around the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. ... Morialta is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. ... Norwood Morialta High School is a dual campus high school of over 1300 students ranging from years 8 to 13. ... Morialta Conservation Park is a public reserve 10 km northeast of Adelaide, in the state of South Australia, Australia. ...

First, Second and Third creeks have been particularly heavily modified and would be unrecognisable to an early settler. They have some sections converted to concrete channels, others through landscaped private gardens and are in places simply underground pipes. Much of the original vegetation has disappeared from the creeks, particularly those closest to the city. Introduced species including olives, bamboo, boxthorn, watsonia and blackberries have displaced native river species.^[6] Binomial name L. 19th century illustration The Olive (Olea europaea) is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Lebanon and the maritime parts of Asia Minor and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. ... Diversity Around 91 genera and 1,000 species Subtribes Arthrostylidiinae Arundinariinae Bambusinae Chusqueinae Guaduinae Melocanninae Nastinae Racemobambodinae Shibataeinae See the full Taxonomy of the Bambuseae. ... Species About 100, including: Lycium afrum Lycium andersonii Lycium barbarum - wolfberry Lycium berlandieri Lycium carolinianum Lycium chilense Lycium depressum Lycium europaeum Lycium exsertum Lycium ferocissimum Lycium fremontii Lycium pallidum Lycium ruthenicum Lycium tetrandrum Boxthorn (Lycium) is a genus of about 100 species of plants in the Solanaceae, native throughout most... Species 52 species, including: Watsonia aletroides Watsonia amabilis Watsonia amatolae Watsonia angusta Watsonia bachmannii Watsonia bella Watsonia borbonica Watsonia canaliculata Watsonia coccinea Watsonia confusa Watsonia densiflora Watsonia distans Watsonia dubia Watsonia elsiae Watsonia emiliae Watsonia fergusoniae Watsonia fourcadei Watsonia galpinii Watsonia gladioloides Watsonia humilis Watsonia hysterantha Watsonia inclinata Watsonia knysnana... The BlackBerry is a wireless handheld device introduced in 1999 which supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, internet faxing, web browsing and other wireless information services. ...

Water flow

The river in summer at base of the Adelaide Hills, Athelstone

When discovered by Europeans, the river was a summertime chain of waterholes bounded by large gum trees. As it flowed through the area where the city of Adelaide is sited, the river was sometimes invisible beneath its gravel stream bed. It frequently flooded in winter and did not reach the sea, instead ending at coastal dunes where its waters created a vast but shallow freshwater wetland. This wetlands, known as The Reedbeds after the dominant vegetation, occupied a large area of the western Adelaide Plains and was also fed by other waterways.^[1] The river only flowed to the sea through the Port River, Barker Inlet, and Patawalonga River following heavy rain.^[7] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 579 pixelsFull resolution (906 × 656 pixel, file size: 222 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) River Torrens at the easternmost end of the linear park (in athelstone ), Taken January 2007 by Peripitus. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 579 pixelsFull resolution (906 × 656 pixel, file size: 222 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) River Torrens at the easternmost end of the linear park (in athelstone ), Taken January 2007 by Peripitus. ... The Waterfall Gully waterfall in the Adelaide Foothills The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. ... Athelstone (pronounced ) is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Campbelltown. ... A waterhole, in its simplest definition, is a hole filled with water. ... natural range Species About 700; see the List of Eucalyptus species Eucalyptus (From Greek, ευκάλυπτος = Well covered) is a diverse genus of trees (and a few shrubs), the members of which dominate the tree flora of Australia. ... Gravel being unloaded from a barge Gravel is rock that is of a certain grain size range. ... The bed of this stream is made up of rocks, some very rounded (having had a longer life in the stream) and some not. ... Flooding in Amphoe Sena, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. ... A diagram showing the formation of a dune with a slipface. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... The Adelaide Plains (34°30′ S 138°30′ E) is the area in South Australia between the Mount Lofty Ranges on the east and the Gulf Saint Vincent on the west. ... Port River is a river that runs through Port Adelaide, a part of the capital of South Australia, Adelaide. ... The inlet in relation to Adelaides Central business district The Barker Inlet is a tidal inlet of the Gulf St Vincent in Adelaide, South Australia, named after Captain Collet Barker who first sighted it in 1831. ...

The river’s catchment area of approximately 500 kilometres² is the largest of any waterway within the Adelaide region. The upper reaches are used to create a potable water supply for metropolitan Adelaide with the river supplying three of Adelaide’s eight reservoirs.^[1] The upper catchment has an average annual rainfall of between 575 millimetres, at its eastern end, to 1025 millimetres near Uraidla.^[8] The Torrens has a very variable flow, and early settlers had to use trial and error to determine bridge heights, leading to many bridges washing away.^[9] Due to the variability of Adelaide's climate, flow rates can change from a trickle to flood conditions quickly. On June 5, 1889, prior to major flooding, the flow rate before it entered the suburbs was 0.7 m³/s(cubic metres per second), rising to 129.1 m³/s, 8 days later.^[10] Drinking water Mineral Water Drinking water is water that is intended to be ingested by humans. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Uraidla Township Uraidla () is a small town in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, Australia, with a population of 440 (1996 census). ... A family of Russian settlers in the Caucasus region, ca. ... Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate which generally means mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. ... Flooding in Amphoe Sena, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A cubic metre per second (m3·s−1, m3/s or cubic meter per second in American English) is a derived SI unit of flow rate equal to that of a cube with sides one metre (100 centimetres or 39. ...

What the River Torrens may be capable of performing for a week or two of the rainy season beyond sweeping down to the swamp the summer filth of Adelaide we cannot guess; but the Torrens at other times is not a river at all, but merely a chain of fresh water pools. At the present moment, its running water may be spanned with the hand and sounded with the forefinger

—The Register, 1838^[11]

Since settlement it has repeatedly flooded, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Adelaide's western suburbs were especially prone to flooding due to their location on the river's alluvial fan.^[12] As development of Adelaide progressed the amount of rainfall required for flooding decreased and consequent damage increased. Increased stormwater runoff, modification of the river's banks and other changes all served to exacerbate the problem. Work done by various groups to minimise flooding was often counter productive, where the creation of levees, moving and widening channels and other works simply shifting the flooding elsewhere.^[13] Stormwater is a term used to describe water that originates during precipitation events. ... A levee, levée (from the feminine past participle of the French verb lever, to raise), floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial slope or wall, usually earthen and often parallels the course of a river. ...

Two early floods were, 18 September 1841 which resulted in two people drowning while trying to cross the river at Klemzig, and 22 September 1844, the largest recorded since settlement began, when "Shands brewery" was washed away after the river undermined its foundations.^[11] The 1899 flood was particularly widespread, after a year with 785.6 millimetres of rain compared to the Adelaide average of 530 millimetres, with extensive flooding of both the river and its tributaries. The river flooded market gardens and farms throughout its hills course causing extensive damage. Norwood was inundated to The Parade, Adelaide to Pirie and Rundle streets, and many areas west of the city were left in a shallow lake.^[14] The river ran 9 feet deep over the weir near Thorndon Park Reservoir, 3 feet over the Torrens Lake Weir and 1 foot over the Morphett Street bridge. The Underdale (or Holbrooks) Bridge was destroyed, the city weir's bridge damaged, and the Felixstow Bridge over the Fourth Creek washed away.^[15] September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jan. ... A foundation is a structure that transmits loads from a building or road to the underlying ground. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In agriculture, market gardening is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. ... The Parade in Norwood, facing east towards the Adelaide Hills Norwood (34°55′S 138°38′E) is a suburb of Adelaide, about 4 kilometres east of the Adelaide Central Business District. ... The Parade in Norwood, facing east towards the Adelaide Hills The Parade is an Adelaide road in the eastern suburbs, running East-West connecting the CBD to suburbs such as Norwood[1]. It is more known for its shopping precinct than its role as a transport conduit for the eastern... Rundle Street, a designated eat street, is lined with gourmet eateries. ... Morphett Street is a main road in the west of the central business district (CBD) of Adelaide, South Australia. ... Felixstow is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Norwood Payneham St Peters. ...

Discovery and naming

The first European sighting of the river was in November 1836 by a party of Lieutenant W.G. Field, John Morphett and George Strickland Kingston. The river was named the "Yatala" by the party^[16] but later renamed by William Light after Colonel Robert Torrens, chairman of the South Australian colonisation commissioners.^[2] On December 29, 1836 Light announced the location of the new city of Adelaide, 6 miles inland on the river's banks .^[16] Sir John Morphett (4 May 1809 – 7 November 1892) was a South Australian pioneer and politician. ... Photographer Unknown George Strickland Kingston (born August 1807 in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland, died 1880 at sea) arrived in South Australia on the Cygnet in 1836. ... Colonel William Light Colonel William Light (1786 - 1839) was born in Kuala Kedah, Malaya in 1786, an illegitimate son of Captain Francis Light, the Governor of Penang, and Martina Rozells, the so-called Princess of Kedah of mixed Siamese-Portuguese descent. ... .Colonel Robert Torrens (1780 – 1864) was a British army officer and owner of the influential Globe newspaper. ... is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

In recent years the river has been dually known by the indigenous Kaurna people’s name of Karra wirra-parri (meaning river of the red gum forest), referring to the dense eucalyptus forest that lined its banks prior to clearing by early settlers. This name, alternatively karra-weera, only referred to the lake section of the river, between Adelaide and North Adelaide. It was known as karrundo-ingga at Hindmarsh , witoingga near the reed beds, and Yertala everywhere when in flood. Yertala has been translated as "water running by the side of a river" and has survived as Yatala in the naming of various places in Adelaide.^[16] The Kaurna (pronounced Garner or Gowna) people are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands lie in and around the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. ... Binomial name Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. ... natural range Species About 700; see the List of Eucalyptus species Eucalyptus (From Greek, ευκάλυπτος = Well covered) is a diverse genus of trees (and a few shrubs), the members of which dominate the tree flora of Australia. ... Hindmarsh is a suburb of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, in the Charles Sturt. ...

Changes after 1836

During early years of colonisation, the surrounding trees were cut down and the river’s gravel used in road making and construction of buildings. As the natural environment was removed, the banks were eroded and the riverbed gradually levelled as waterholes filled. By 1878 the river was noted to be a malodorous, black sewer rather than the sylvan stream of the 1830s.^[17] Gravel being unloaded from a barge Gravel is rock that is of a certain grain size range. ...

...anything in the guise of a river more ugly than the Torrens would be impossible to either see or describe...

—Anthony Trollope prior to 1880^[18]

Much of the river's catchment area is comprised of cleared farmland with run-off captured in private dams to sustain farming over Adelaide's dry summer. Combined with the river's use for potable water this has greatly reduced the overall flow especially in the lower river. Anthony Trollope (April 24, 1815 – December 6, 1882) became one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. ... Modern arable agriculture typically uses large fields like this one in Dorset, England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Flood mitigation

A flood mitigation bill was passed in 1917 to not only combat the damage floods caused but also the public health risk due to the lack of mains sewerage in the western suburbs. Popular opinion was to divert the flood waters into their "natural" outlets of the Port and Patawalonga rivers. The chief engineer of the department of works favoured a cutting through sand dunes near Henley Beach, allowing the river an outlet, mitigating floods and preventing silting of the Port River. He also advocated the construction of a reservoir where the Kangaroo Creek Reservoir is now, to both mitigate floods and provide summer irrigation water for market gardens. Unfortunately the bill lapsed with no action as neither government nor local councils were willing to fund the works.^[19] The Millbrook Reservoir opened in 1918 as a summer water source, and flood mitigator if required. A bill was passed in 1923 to enact the earlier plan of cutting through the dunes and adding an upstream regulating weir. Again the bill lapsed due to a lack of commitment from parties on payment.^[20] The word sewerage means the provision of pipes etc to collect and dispose of sewage. ... Henley Beach is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Charles Sturt local government area (LGA), South Australia. ... Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil. ... Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a state or province. ...

A major flood in 1931 and another in 1933 lead to the latest in a line of government enquiries. In 1934 the "Parliamentary standing committee on Public Works" recommended that an outlet for the river be created to accommodate flows of up to 370 m³/s(cubic metres per second) (13,000 ft³/s), covering a 1 in 60 year flood. The work was partly financed by a Commonwealth Government grant with the state government arranging for the balance. The state government, western and eastern councils and the Municipal Tramways Trust shared interest costs. The scheme was enacted in 1935 and largely completed by 1939 with the creation of "Breakout creek channel".^[21] The scheme involved diversion of the river at Lockleys (near Adelaide Airport), with the original channel blocked and a new channel created to the sea.^[1] The reedbeds and swamps were subsequently drained and some of their area is now the site for the suburb of West Lakes. A cubic metre per second (m3·s−1, m3/s or cubic meter per second in American English) is a derived SI unit of flow rate equal to that of a cube with sides one metre (100 centimetres or 39. ... A cubic foot per second (also cfs, cusec and ft3/s) is an Imperial unit / U.S. customary unit of flow rate equal to a cube with sides each 12 inches (1 foot or 472. ... The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy, a federation, and a parliamentary democracy. ... The Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT) was establishd in 1907 to operate Adelaides street tram network. ... Lockleys ; located at , postcode 5032, altitude 31m) is a suburb the city of Adelaide, South Australia. ... Adelaide International Airport is a fairly large airport facility in West Beach, South Australia, Australia, serving the large city of Adelaide. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... West Lakes is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Charles Sturt. ...

Based on recommendations in an 1925 report on flood mitigation, work began in the 1960s on the building of the Kangaroo Creek reservoir, opened in 1969 with a capacity of 24.4 megalitres^[22] It remains the only reservoir damming the river rather than being fed from weirs. The "River Torrens Committee" was formed in 1964 to advice the minister of works on; preserving and enhancing the rivers natural beauty, and developing it for recreational uses. The "River Torrens Acquisition act 1970-72" was passed authorising the purchase of land, in some cases 60 metres back from the top of the river's banks.^[23] The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of volume. ...

By 1980, further development along the riverbanks and removal of levées had reduced the outlets capacity to a 1 in 35 year flood. A study showed that a 1 in 200 year flood would inundate 13,000 properties, so the Kangaroo Creek dam's level was raised, its spillway modified, the breakout creek channel capacity increased and some bridges reinforced.^[24] A development plan was approved in 1981 to purchase land along the length of the river, create a flood mitigating linear park and also to modify the Kangaroo Creek dam further. The sea outlet was enlarged to a capacity of 410 m³/s which now covered a 1 in 200 year flood.^[25] When the O-Bahn Busway was opened the bridges were designed to cope with this scale of flood, although the two bridges in St Peters would likely be awash.^[26] Spillway of Llyn Brianne dam in Wales A Spillway is a structure used to provide for the controlled release of flood flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that has been dammed. ... Linear Park near Paradise Interchange Completed in 1997, the Torrens Linear Park was the first of its kind developed in Australia, and is the largest hills-to-coast park in Australia. ... A bus on the O-Bahn guide-way. ... St. ...

Torrens lake

Torrens lake (with row boats) around 1889.

Weir forming the Torrens Lake near Adelaide Gaol

Torrens Weir in full flow during heavy rain, April 2007

The Torrens lake was created in 1881 with the construction of a weir, landscaping of Elder park and modification of the river’s bank and surrounds into an English formal park. The lake forms a centrepiece of many Adelaide events and postcard scenes. Elder Park with its iron rotunda was opened on November 28, 1882. The Rotunda is a 9 metre high iron bandstand, largely made in Glasgow and funded by Sir Thomas Elder Smith, with the park named after him.^[27] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 541 pixelsFull resolution (2271 × 1536 pixel, file size: 137 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo by me of the wier on the River Torrens in Adelaide South Australia I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 541 pixelsFull resolution (2271 × 1536 pixel, file size: 137 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo by me of the wier on the River Torrens in Adelaide South Australia I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the... Adelaide Gaol was an Australian prison located in Thebarton, South Australia, Australia. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 973 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Torrens Weir in operation during heavy rainfall in late April 2007 I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 973 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Torrens Weir in operation during heavy rainfall in late April 2007 I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Elder Park is a public open space in the city of Adelaide, South Australia on the southern bank of the River Torrens and that is bordered by the Adelaide Festival Centre and North Terrace. ... Elder Park is a public open space in the city of Adelaide, South Australia on the southern bank of the River Torrens and that is bordered by the Adelaide Festival Centre and North Terrace. ... In Mosta, Malta, the Rotunda of Santa Marija Assunta is covered by a saucer dome. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... “Glaswegian” redirects here. ...

In 1867, prison labour from Adelaide Gaol was used to build a wooden dam near the site of the current weir. The dam was poorly constructed and almost immediately the Torrens washed it away. Construction of a permanent concrete weir was begun in November 1880 and completed, at a cost of £7,000, in 1881. The sluice gates were closed to begin filling the 12 hectare Torrens Lake on July 1, 1881. At the lakes official opening on July 21 1881 an estimated 40,000, almost the entire population of Adelaide, attended. During the 1889 flood, the weir was overwhelmed, its gates jammed, and in trying to free them the weir's designer John Langdon was crippled.^[28] The weir was rebuilt from 1928 to 1929 with its footbridge relocated and the centre section replaced. The gates can now be fully raised and the river allowed to flow unimpeded.^[29] Adelaide Gaol was an Australian prison located in Thebarton, South Australia, Australia. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

The "Popeye" boats are privately owned recreational ferries that operate on the lake between Elder Park and the Adelaide Zoo. The first Popeye boat was launched on the Torrens Lake by Gordon Watts in 1935. It was a 25 foot boat, built on the Banks of the Torrens to hold up to 20 passengers, and numbered Popeye 1. Watts purchased a former Glenelg cruise boat in 1948 and put it into service as Popeye 2. To 1950 three new jarrah hulled boats were built at Port Adelaide; carrying 40 passengers each they were numbered Popeye 3 through Popeye 5. Trips on the popeye from Elder Park to the zoo became a treasured family outing and the boats hosted weddings and other events.^[30] In March 1962 Keith Altman, owner of riverside eatery "Jolley's Boathouse", took over the Popeyes and introduced paddle boats to the river. They had a brush with royalty in March 1977 with Popeye 5 ferrying Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, with a choir following in Popeye 4. The old boats were replaced in 1982 with 3 new fibreglass models, launched by the Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, and now named Popeyes I, II and III.^[31] The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, ca. ... hi mom ... Stamford Grand and Glenelg foreshore from jetty. ... Subspecies subsp. ... Port Adelaide ( ) is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Sleeping Beauty character (actually spelled Phillip), see Sleeping Beauty (1959 film). ... This article is about the former Prime Minister of Australia; for the Western Australian public servant, see Malcolm Fraser (surveyor). ...

Water use

In the early days of Adelaide, the Torrens was used for bathing, stock watering, rubbish disposal, water supply and as a de-facto sewer and drainage sump. This lead to a range of health issues until finally, in 1839, when a dysentery outbreak killed 5 children in one day, Governor Gawler forbid bathing, clothes washing and the disposal of animal carcases in the Torrens within 1 mile of town. The quality of the river's water was not helped by water supply methods. Carters used to drive water carts into the Torrens to refill. To prevent this the government built a facility with steam powered pumps and water storage in 1852, from which the carters then filled.^[32]

The "Waterworks act" of 1856 was passed to enable damming of the upstream Torrens for water supply purposes.^[33] The resulting water commission arranged the following year for foundations to be laid for a water supply weir. Poor construction materials and techniques lead to them being washed away, and the weir not completed. The government then created a waterworks department, which started construction of a weir and reservoir in 1859, at Thorndon Park partway through the river’s suburban flow. The weir was completed on June 4, 1860 and the reservoir began supplying piped water in December. The water was captured at the weir, piped for storage to the Thorndon park reservoir, piped to a water tank at Kent Town. Water from Kent Town storage was distributed via a manually controlled water system that was unmetered first six years.^[34] Within six years 20,000 citizens in Adelaide and Port Adelaide were connected to reticulated Torrens water.^[35] By 1872, the 2840 megalitre Hope Valley Reservoir in the Adelaide hills foothills was completed as a storage reservoir, supplied via an aqueduct and tunnel.^[36] June 4 is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ...

Public baths were built in 1861 just north of the current Parliament building. They were supplied with reticulated water from the Torrens and progressively upgraded with the last a 1940 remodelling including an Olympic size swimming pool and diving tower. The baths were demolished in 1970 to make way for the Adelaide Festival Centre.^[37] The 16,500 megalitre Millbrook reservoir was constructed high in the Adelaide Hills from 1913 to 1918 submerging the town of Millbrook. An earth bank dam fed by mile long tunnel from a weir on the river at Gumeracha, its elevation allows gravity supply of water to Adelaide's Eastern suburbs.^[38] The Adelaide Festival Centre The Adelaide Festival Centre is Adelaides first multi-purpose art center. ... Gumeracha (pronounced , gumma-racka) ( ; postcode 5233) is a town near Adelaide, South Australia, located on the Adelaide-Mannum Road. ...

Bridges

Due to the river's path through the centre of Adelaide, transport necessitated the construction of many bridges. Prior to the bridges all crossings had been via fords which proved a dangerous practice in spring and winter. The first bridge was one of timber built in 1839 approximately 500 metres west of the current City bridge, but destroyed by floods in September 1844.^[39] In 1849 £6000 was allocated to bridge the Torrens, but by 1852 three wooden bridges had been built and all destroyed in floods.^[33] In June 1856 the English manufactured, iron City Bridge was opened, extending King William street to North Adelaide. It was widened in 1877 then converted into a two lane bridge in 1884. The bridge was replaced in 1931 with the current concrete arch structure.^[40] A ford, with pedestrian footbridge, on a minor road near Weimar bei Kassel in Germany The ford at Brockenhurst, leading into the village centre, following heavy rain. ... King William Street, looking south towards Victoria Square, circa 1992. ... North Adelaide is the predominately residential suburb north of the River Torrens but within the Adelaide Parklands. ... Concrete being poured, raked and vibrated into place in residential construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

The Victoria Bridge extends from Morphett street and crosses the rail lines from the Adelaide Railway Station and the river. The first bridge was opened on June 21, 1871,^[33] and over time various bridges have been built on the same site. The current bridge, a prestressed concrete box girder bridge, was opened in March 1968 by Don Dunstan and Lord Mayor Walter Lewis Bridgland. The bridge is actually two bridges joined to appear continuous. The first spans North terrace and the rail lines with the second the river. The bridge was designed without a central pillar in the river, allowing three lanes of rowers to compete without interference.^[41] Adelaide railway station is the central terminus of the Adelaide railway system. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Traditional reinforced concrete is based on the use of steel reinforcement bars, rebar, inside poured concrete. ... A box girder bridge is a bridge commonly used for roadway flyovers and for modern elevated structures of light rail transport. ... Donald Allan Dunstan AC QC (21 September 1926 – 6 February 1999) was an Australian politician. ... North Terrace, looking west from Kintore Avenue Adelaide in 1839 as viewed south-east from North Terrace North Terrace is a street in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. ... A coxless pair which is a sweep-oar boat. ...

The Albert Bridge is adjacent to the Adelaide Zoo and carries Frome Road over the river. A timber bridge was constructed in 1859, west of the current bridge, and named the Old Frome Bridge.^[42] The current bridge was named after Prince Albert, Later King Edwards VII, and opened in his presence on May 7, 1879.^[43] The bridge is made from three English built parallel wrought iron, scollaped girders. It is 120 feet long with a cantilevered span of 60 feet. The bridge is 43 feet wide and originally had a timber deck which was replaced with concrete in 1922. The bridge is listed on the "City of Adelaide Heritage Register", the "South Australian Heritage Register" and the "Register of the National Estate". A complete restoration was finished in 1982, with the bridge now appearing as it did at the 1879 opening.^[44] hi mom ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of the Commonwealth Realms, and the Emperor of India. ... is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... A wrought iron railing in Troy, New York. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. ...

The Hackney Bridge was first known as the "Second Company Bridge" as it was built by the South Australia Company. The bridge was built so that wheat farmers from the northern side could access the South Australian Company's flour mill which stood where the Hackney Hotel was later built.^[42] The current bridge is the third at the same site: in 1845 "prescotts crossing" was built as a timber beam bridge, 1860 saw it replaced with a four span, trussed timber bridge. The current bridge is a 126 foot long, 34 foot wide truss arch bridge opened on December 5, 1885.^[45] The flour mill or grist mill is a kind of mill which is fed grain and makes flour. ... A truss arch bridge combines elements of a truss and an arch. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

University Footbridge connects Victoria Drive, at the rear of University of Adelaide, with Peace Park adjacent to Memorial drive.^[46] The bridge was conceived in 1928 by an engineering undergraduate at the university and funded with a 26,000 pound grant from Adelaide City Council. It was designed by university staff under the supervision of Robert Chapman, Chief engineer of the South Australian Railways. Construction was delayed until 1937 due to the economic effects of the great depression. The bridge has an arch spanning 152 ft, 20 ft over the river, and was the first welded bridge in South Australia.^[47] ... The University of Adelaide (colloquially Adelaide University or Adelaide Uni) is a public university located in Adelaide. ... In some educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelors degree. ... South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission (ANRC) in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways. ... The Great Depression started after October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. ... Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. ...

A murder which occurred in the vicinity of the bridge on 10 May 1972 resulted in calls to reform South Australia's laws regarding homosexuality. University of Adelaide law lecturer Dr George Duncan was thrown into the river. A plaque exists on the bridge commemorating his death and the subsequent decriminalisation of homosexuality in South Australia.^[48] is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Adelaide (colloquially Adelaide University or Adelaide Uni) is a public university located in Adelaide. ... George Duncan, a law lecturer at the University of Adelaide, was murdured on May 10, 1972 after being thrown into the River Torrens at the age of 42. ...

Various other bridges have spanned the Torrens including:

• Railway Bridge, Built in 1856 to carry the Port and Gawler Town railway lines. The bridge was constructed 74 chains (1.5 km) from Adelaide Railway Station^[49]
• Felixstowe Bridge, built in 1873 on OG Road and reconstructed in 1892, 1901, 1924 and 1961. The first bridge was narrow, and hay-laden carts often damaged posts while brushing past them.^[42]
• Tennyson Bridge, built 1877 on Stephen Terrace, St Peters, replacing a ford at the same site.^[42]
• Ascot Bridge, built in 1970 to connect Ascot Avenue and Lower Portrush Road.
• Dickson's Crossing, built on Darley Road in 1977 to replace a ford.^[42]

Adelaide railway station is the central terminus of the Adelaide railway system. ... St. ...

Flora and fauna

The river was formerly a food source with yabbies, mussels and small fish, however the reduction in water quality, changing of the river’s habitat, and introduction of European fish species has led to a reduction in fauna quantity and diversity.^[17] Exotic pest species such as the European carp, trout and Redfin Perch have greatly reduced native fish populations like the big headed gudgeon but waterfowl are common along the river with black ducks, wood ducks, black swans, ibis, egrets and herons amongst the more than 100 species seen. The number of exotic waterfowl species such as mallards has reduced in recent years. In places the steep banks of the river are an ideal habitat for long-necked tortoises. Binomial name Cherax destructor Clark, 1936 The Common yabby, Cherax destructor, is a freshwater crayfish. ... Subclasses Pteriomorpha (marine mussels) Palaeoheterodonta (freshwater mussels) Heterodonta (zebra mussels) The term mussel is used for several families of bivalve molluscs inhabiting lakes, rivers, and creeks, as well as intertidal areas along coastlines worldwide. ... Carpet beetle larvae damaging a specimen of Sceliphron destillatorius in an entomological collection A pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded as injurious or unwanted. ... Binomial name Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758) The Common carp or European carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a widespread freshwater fish distantly related to the common goldfish, with which it is capable of interbreeding. ... Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss Biwa trout, Oncorhynchus masou subsp Trout is the common name given to a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the salmon family, Salmonidae. ... Binomial name Perca fluviatilis Linnaeus, 1758 The European perch (Perca fluviatilis) is a species of perch found in Europe and Asia. ... Gudgeon is a common name for a number of small freshwater fishes of the families Cyprinidae, Eleotridae or Ptereleotridae. ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Thalassorninae Anserinae Stictonettinae Plectropterinae Tadorninae Anatinae Aythyinae Merginae Oxyurinae and see text Anatidae is the biological family that includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swan. ... Binomial name Anas superciliosa (Gmelin, 1789) The Pacific Black Duck, Anas superciliosa, is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. ... Binomial name Chenonetta jubata (Latham, 1802) The Australian Wood Duck, Chenonetta jubata, is a dabbling duck found throughout much of Australia. ... Binomial name Cygnus atratus Latham, 1790 Subspecies Black Swan New Zealand Swan (extinct) Synonyms Anas atrata Latham, 1790 Chenopis atratus The Black Swan, Cygnus atratus is a large non-migratory waterbird which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest of Australia. ... Genera Threskiornis Pseudibis Thaumatibis Geronticus Nipponia Bostrychia Theristicus Cercibis Mesembrinibis Phimosus Eudocimus Plegadis Lophotibis Ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae. ... Genera Egretta Ardea An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. ... Genera See text. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies See Mexican Duck, Anas, and article text The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos[1]), also known as the wild duck, is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas of North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

The river, and its tributaries, had a population of water rats (Hydromys chrysogaster) and swamp rats (Rattus lutreolus). Water rats remain in reduced numbers , but the introduced black rat (rattus rattus) and brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) have largely supplanted the natives. The house mouse is now the most common mammal of the Torrens environ.^[50] Binomial name Hydromys chrysogaster (Geoffroy, 1804) The water rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) is an Australian native rodent, which is one of only two amphibious mammals found in Australia (the other being the platypus). ... Binomial name Rattus lutreolus (Gray, 1841) The Australian Swamp Rat is a species of rat native to the area around Melbourne. ... Binomial name Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758) Black Rat range The Black Rat (Rattus rattus), also known as the Asian black rat, Ship Rat, Roof Rat or House Rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus (Old World rodents) and the subfamily Murinae (murine rodents). ... Binomial name Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) The brown rat, common rat, Norway rat, Norwegian rat or wharf rat (Rattus norvegicus) is one of the best-known and common rats, and also one of the largest. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 The common House Mouse (Mus musculus) is one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus equivalent to the common term mouse. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in...

Widely found native reeds, sedges and rushes along the upper river are bulrush, knobby club rush, spike rush, common reed, sea rush and pale rush. River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and Blue gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon) are found along the river banks, although far from the forest that was seen by European discoverers. Still present are many of the original vegetation species like: Sheoak (Casuarina Stricta), Native cherry (Exocarpos cupressiformis), Native pine (Callitris preissii) and Australia's floral emblem the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)^[51] Binomial name Phragmites australis (Cav. ... Genera See text The Family Cyperaceae, or the Sedge family, is a taxon of monocot flowering plants that superficially resemble grasses or rushes. ... Species see text Juncus is a genus of the Juncaceae family. ... Species See text Typha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the monogeneric family, Typhaceae. ... Binomial name Dehnh. ... Binomial name Eucalyptus leucoxylon var. ... Selected species Casuarina cunninghamiana Casuarina equisetifolia Casuarina glauca Casuarina is a genus of shrubs and trees in the Family Casuarinaceae, native to Australia and islands of the Pacific. ... Binomial name Labill. ... Species Sect. ... Binomial name Acacia pycnantha Banks Golden Wattle, Acacia pycnantha, is Australias floral emblem. ...

The river today

View of Riverside Precinct.

From its source the river flows westwards through Birdwood and Gumeracha . It then continues down through Torrens Gorge entering suburban Adelaide at the suburb of Athelstone with some of its path paralleled by the O-Bahn Busway. It passes between the city-centre and North Adelaide, forming the Torrens Lake between the Adelaide Zoo and a weir opposite Adelaide Gaol. The river then continues the remaining eight kilometres to the sea at Henley Beach South, emptying into Gulf St. Vincent via a constructed outlet. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 1312 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): List of cities in Australia by population Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 1312 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): List of cities in Australia by population Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Birdwood (34°49′S 138°57′E, population 1000) is a Australian town in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. ... Gumeracha (pronounced , gumma-racka) ( ; postcode 5233) is a town near Adelaide, South Australia, located on the Adelaide-Mannum Road. ... Athelstone (pronounced ) is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Campbelltown. ... A bus on the O-Bahn guide-way. ...