Landsat 7 imagery of the Swan River and surrounds

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. View of the Swan River from Kings Park in Perth. ... View of the Swan River from Kings Park in Perth. ... The Perth skyline viewed from the Swan River This article is about the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. ... Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $100,900 (4th)  - Product per capita  $50,355/person...

River Course

Map of the Swan River, with tributaries in light blue

The Swan River drains the Avon and Swan Coastal catchments, which have a total area of about 121,000 km². The Avon River contributes the majority of its freshwater flow. The climate of the catchment is Mediterranean, with mild wet winters, hot dry summers, and the associated highly seasonal rainfall and flow regime. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (958x960, 46 KB)This image is a map of the area around Perth, Western Australia, showing the location of the Swan River, Western Australia. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (958x960, 46 KB)This image is a map of the area around Perth, Western Australia, showing the location of the Swan River, Western Australia. ... Avon River Location of the Avon River The Avon River is a river in Western Australia. ...

The Avon River rises near Yealering (pronounced Yellering), 200km southeast of Perth: it meanders nor'nor'west to Toodyay (Toojay) about 90km northeast of Perth, then turns southwest: in the Walyunga National Park, at the confluence of the Woorooloo Brook, it becomes the Swan River.

The Canning River rises not far from North Bannister, 100km southeast of Perth and joins the Swan at Applecross, opening into Melville Water. The Swan and Canning rivers are salt water tidal rivers; Melville Water is their estuary which might have been purposely designed for sailing of almost every description. Blackwall Reach is narrow and deeper, leading the river through Fremantle Harbour to the sea.

The Noongar believe that the Darling Scarp is said to represent the body of a Wagyl - a snakelike being from Dreamtime that meandered over the land creating rivers, waterways and lakes. It is thought that the Waugal created the Swan River. The Noongar (alternate spellings: Nyungar/Nyoongar/Nyoongah),[1] are an indigenous Australian people who live in the southwest corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast. ... Darling Range (~2000 ft elevation), Perth, Swan River estuary. ... The Wagyl or Rainbow Serpent The Wagyl (alternative spelling Waugal or Waagal) is, according to Noongar culture, a snakelike Dreamtime creature responsible for the creation of the Swan and Canning Rivers and other waterways and landforms around present day Perth and the south-west of Western Australia A superior being... Representation of the Rainbow serpent, the Waugal The Dreamtime is the central, unifying theme in Australian Aboriginal mythology. ...

While the Swan River has not been dammed, two of its tributary rivers - the Helena River and the Canning River - have been dammed for collection of water supplies, at Mundaring Weir and Canning Dam. The Helena River is a tributary of the Swan River, Western Australia Location It rises in country east of Mount Dale and moves to the north west to Mundaring Weir, where it is dammed. ... Passengers leaving the Silver Star river steamer ferry at Coffee Point (site of the South of Perth Yacht Club), with the old Canning Bridge in the background. ... Mundaring Weir is a suburb in Perth, Western Australia. ... Canning Dam is a major water source for the city of Perth, Western Australia. ...

The estuary is subject to a microtidal regime, with a maximum tidal amplitude of about one metre, although water levels are also subject to barometric pressure fluctuations.

Transport

In the earliest days of the Swan River Settlement, the river was use as the main transport route between Perth and Fremantle. This continued until the establishment of the Government rail system between Fremantle and Guildford via Perth.

View from East Fremantle along Blackwall Reach towards Point Walter and Perth

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 283 pixelsFull resolution (1944 × 687 pixel, file size: 584 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 283 pixelsFull resolution (1944 × 687 pixel, file size: 584 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Town of East Fremantle is a Local Government Area of Western Australia. ... Point Walter is a headland in the Swan River, Western Australia. ...

History

See also: Swan River Colony

The first detailed map of the Swan River, drawn by François-Antoine Boniface Heirisson in 1801

The river was named Swarte Swaene-Revier^[1] by Dutch explorer, Willem de Vlamingh in 1697 , after the famous black swans of the area. Vlamingh sailed with a small party up the river to around Heirisson Island. A French expedition under Nicholas Baudin also sailed up the river in 1801. Swan River Colony was a British settlement established at the Swan River on the west coast of Australia in 1829. ... Image File history File links Battye_freycinet_swanriver_lg. ... Image File history File links Battye_freycinet_swanriver_lg. ... Willem de Vlamingh (born 28 November 1640, died ?) was a Dutch sailor who explored the southwest coast of Australia (then New Holland) in the late 17th Century. ... Events September 11 - Battle of Zenta, Prince Eugene of Savoy crushed Ottoman army of Mustafa II September 20 - The Treaty of Ryswick December 2 – St Pauls Cathedral opened in London Peter the Great travels in Europe officially incognito as artilleryman Pjotr Mikhailov Use of palanquins increases in Europe Christopher... 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. ... Heirisson Island is named after Midshipman Francois Boniface Heirisson, who discovered it in June 1801. ... Nicolas Baudin Nicolas-Thomas Baudin (February 17, 1754 - September 16, 1803) was a French explorer. ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ...

Governor Stirling's intention was that the name 'Swan River' refer only to the watercourse upstream of the Heirisson Islands.^[1] All of the rest, including Perth Water, he considered estuarine and which he referred to as 'Melville Water'. The Government notice dated 27 July 1929 stated ... the first stone will be laid of a new town to be called 'Perth', near the entrance to the estuary of the Swan River. is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Almost immediately after the Town of Perth was established, a systematic effort was underway to reshape the river. This was done for many reasons:

• to alleviate flooding in winter periods;
• improve access for boats by having deeper channels and jetties;
• removal of marshy land which created a mosquito menace;
• enlargement of dry land for agriculture and building.

Perth streets were often sandy bogs which caused Governor James Stirling in 1837 to report to the Secretary of State for Colonies: Admiral Sir James Stirling Admiral Sir James Stirling RN (January 28, 1791–April 23, 1865) was a British marine officer and colonial administrator. ...

At the present time it can scarcely be said that any roads exist, although certain lines of communication have been improved by clearing them of timber and by bridging streams and by establishing ferries in the broader parts of the Swan River ...

Parts of the river required dredging with the material dumped onto the mud flats to raise the adjoining land. An exceptionally wet winter in 1862 saw major flooding throughout the area - the effect of which was exacerbated by the extent of the reclaimed lands.

Black swan and family

A number of features of the river, particularly around the city, have reshaped its profile since European settlement in 1829: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x858, 1053 KB) Summary Black Swan on the Swan River, Perth Western Australia. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x858, 1053 KB) Summary Black Swan on the Swan River, Perth Western Australia. ...

• Claisebrook - named Clause Brook on early maps. This was a fresh water creek which emptied the network of natural lakes north of the city. Before an effective sewerage system was built, it became an open sewer which dumped waste directly into the river for many years during the 1800s and early 1900s. The area surrounding has been mainly industrial for most of the period of European settlement and it has a long history of neglect. Since the late 1980s, the East Perth redevelopment has dramatically tidied up the area and works include a landscaped inlet off the river large enough for boats. The area is now largely residential however the brook exists in name only with the lakes having been either removed or managed by man-made drainage systems.

• Point Fraser - early maps showed this as a major promontory on the northern side of the river west of the Causeway. This disappeared between 1921 and 1935 when land fill was added on both sides and effectively straightening the irregular foreshore and forming the rectangular 'The Esplanade'.

• The Esplanade - the northern riverbank originally ran close to the base of the escarpment generally a single block width south of St Georges Terrace. Houses built on the southern side of St Georges Terrace included market gardens which ran to the waters edge.

• Heirisson Islands - a series of mudflats that were slightly more upstream from today's single man-made island which has deep channels on each side.

• Burswood - early in the settlement the Perth flats restricted the passage of all but flat bottom boats travelling between Perth and Guildford. It was decided that a canal be built to bypass these creating Burswood island. In 1831 it took seven men 107 days to do the work. Once completed, it measured about 280m in length by an average top width of nearly 9m which tapered to 4m at the bottom; the depth varied between nearly one metre and six metres. Further improvements were made in 1834. The area on the south side of the river upstream from the causeway was filled throughout the 1900s, reclaiming an area five-times the area of the Mitchell Interchange/Narrows Bridge works.

• Point Belches - later known as Mill Point, South Perth. Originally existed as sandy promontory surrounding a deep semi-circular bay. This was later named Millers Pool and was eventually filled in and widened to become the present-day South Perth peninsula to which the Narrows Bridge and Kwinana Freeway adjoin.

• Point Lewis (also One-Tree Point after a solitary tree that stood on the site for many years) - the northern side of the Narrows Bridge site, and now beneath the interchange.

• Mounts Bay - a modest reclamation was done between 1921 and 1935. In the 1950s works involving the Narrows Bridge started and in 1967 the bay was dramatically reduced in size with works related to the Mitchell Interchange and the northern approaches to the Narrows. An elderly Bessie Rischbieth famously protested against the project by standing in the shallows in front of the bulldozers for a whole day on 14 March 1967. She succeeded in halting progress - for that one day.

• Bazaar Terrace/Bazaar Street - in the early days of the settlement this waterfront road between William Street and Mill Street was an important commercial focus with port facilities including several jetties adjoining. It is now approximately where Mounts Bay Road is today and set well back from the foreshore. It had a prominent limestone wall and promenade built using material quarried from Mount Eliza.

• River mouth at Fremantle - The harbour was built in the 1890's and the removal of the limestone reef blocking the river was removed after 70 years of demands. The dredging of the area to build the Harbour effectively changed the river dynamics from a winter flushing flow to a tidal flushing estuary. It was also at this time that the Helena River was dammed as part of C. Y. O'Connor's ambitious and successful plan to provide water to the Kalgoorlie Goldfields.

The river has been used for the disposal all kinds of waste. Even well into the 1970s various local councils had rubbish tips on the mud flats along the edge of the river. Heavy industry also contributed its share of waste into the river from wool scouring plants in Fremantle to fertilizer and foundries sited in the Bayswater - Bassendean area. Remedial sites works are still on going in these areas to remove the toxins left to leach into the river. Bessie Rischbieth (1874 – 1967), born Bessie Mabel Earle, was an influential and early Australian feminist and social activist. ... is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... C. Y. OConnor (11 January 1843 – 10 March 1902), full name Charles Yelverton OConnor, was an Irish engineer who is best-known for his work in Australia, especially the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme. ... Kalgoorlie is a Western Australian city located about 600 km east of Perth. ...

During the summer months there are problems with algal blooms killing fish and caused by nutrient run-off from farming activities as well as the use of fertilisers in the catchment areas. The occasional accidental spillage of sewage and chemicals has also caused sections of the river to be closed to human access. The river has survived all this and is in relatively good condition considering on-going threats to its ecology. Algal blooms can present problems for ecosystems and human society An algal bloom is a relatively rapid increase in the population of (usually) phytoplankton algae in an aquatic system. ...

The Perth Water location on the river adjacent to the City of Perth is a popular place for viewing the annual Australia Day fireworks, with over 400,000 people crowding the foreshore, Kings Park and boats on the river. Perth Water is the section of the Swan River between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west - a large wide but shallow section of river on the southern edge of the City of Perth, Western Australia. ... Anniversary Day redirects here. ... 2006 Skyworks from the Applecross foreshore. ... Lemon-scented gums along Fraser Avenue, Kings Park Kings Park (, ) is a natural bushland park located in Perth, Western Australia. ...

Matilda Bay on the Swan River, with Mount Eliza and the Perth skyline in the background

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (8723x1337, 4084 KB) Summary Matilda Bay on the Swan River, Perth, Western Australia. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (8723x1337, 4084 KB) Summary Matilda Bay on the Swan River, Perth, Western Australia. ... Mount Eliza is a hill which overlooks the city of Perth, Western Australia and forms part of Kings Park. ...

North/south rivalry

Many Perth residents define themselves as living either north of the river or south of the river. As Perth has grown dramatically in recent years, and development has been mainly on a north/south corridor running parallel to the coast, this separation has grown with (highly dubious) claims that one never goes to the other side, or does not associate with others from the other side. These claims are generally made light-heartedly. Some businesses do trade with a 'north of the river' phone number, and a separate 'south of the river' number.

Eastern end of The Causeway taken from Burswood Park

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2966x323, 203 KB) Summary Photo taken (15th Oct 2005) and supplied by Nachoman-au. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2966x323, 203 KB) Summary Photo taken (15th Oct 2005) and supplied by Nachoman-au. ... Burswood Resort and Casino Burswood International Resort Casino (, ) is located on the Swan River some five minutes from the city of Perth, Western Australia. ...

Geographic features

looking south east across Point Resolution

Geographic features of the Swan River include: Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 769 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2290 × 1786 pixel, file size: 589 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) where the image is stored/displayed electronically original metadata must be retained and be included with further copies File historyClick on a date/time to... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 769 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2290 × 1786 pixel, file size: 589 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) where the image is stored/displayed electronically original metadata must be retained and be included with further copies File historyClick on a date/time to...

Preston Point is a small headland in the Swan River, Western Australia. ... Blackwall Reach is located on the Swan River in Western Australia. ... Point Walter viewed from across the river, in Mosman Park Point Walter is a headland in the Swan River, Western Australia. ... Freshwater Bay, in the Australian state of Western Australia, includes the Claremont Foreshore of the Swan River. ... Melville water, picture taken from Heathecote point looking west Melville Water is a section of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. ... Alfred Cove is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville. ... Waylen Bay viewed from Point Heathcote Waylen Bay is a small embayment from Point Dundas to Point Heathcote, located in the Perth suburb of Applecross. ... Point Heathcote is a geographic feature located on the Swan River located in Melville a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. ... Point Belches is a small point on the south side of Swan River, Western Australia, about 250 metres east of The Narrows within the area known as Perth Water. ... Pelican Point (post code: 6230) is a suburb of Bunbury, Western Australia, adjoining Eaton. ... The Matilda Bay Brewing Company is an Australian brewery headquarted in North Fremantle, Western Australia. ... Location of Narrows Bridge The Narrows Bridge is a bridge that connects the Mitchell Freeway and Kwinana Freeway in Perth, Western Australia. ... Perth Water is the section of the Swan River between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west - a large wide but shallow section of river on the southern edge of the City of Perth, Western Australia. ... Heirisson Island is named after Midshipman Francois Boniface Heirisson, who discovered it in June 1801. ... Centenary Stone st the All Saints Church in the Swan Valley The Swan Valley is the area either side of the Swan River between Guildford at its south western end and Bells rapids at its north eastern end. ...

Bridges

Narrows Bridge Perth

Causeway Southern section including previous structure

There are eighteen road and railway bridges crossing the Swan River. These are (from Fremantle, heading upstream): Image File history File links Perth_narrows. ... Image File history File links Perth_narrows. ... Image File history File links Causway_no. ... Image File history File links Causway_no. ... Mountain road with hairpin turns in the French Alps For other uses, see Road (disambiguation). ... This article is about the edifice (including an index to articles on specific bridge types). ... The term upstream has several possible meanings: In geography, upstream means literally towards the source of a stream or river, against the normal direction of water flow. ...

1. Fremantle Railway Bridge, Fremantle (Fremantle rail line)
2. Fremantle Traffic Bridge, Fremantle
3. Stirling Bridge (Stirling Highway), Fremantle
4. Narrows Bridge (Kwinana Freeway/Mitchell Freeway, Mandurah rail line), Perth (2001) - northbound
5. Narrows Bridge (Mandurah rail line), Perth
6. Narrows Bridge (Kwinana Freeway/Mitchell Freeway), Perth (1959) - southbound
7. The Causeway (north), Perth to Heirisson Island
8. The Causeway (south), Heirisson Island to South Perth
9. Goongoonup Bridge, East Perth (Armadale rail line)
10. Windan Bridge, East Perth (Graham Farmer Freeway)
11. Garratt Road Bridge, Maylands - northbound
12. Garratt Road Bridge, Maylands - southbound
13. Redcliffe Bridge (Tonkin Highway), Bayswater
14. Guildford Road Bridge, Bassendean
15. Guildford Railway Bridge, Bassendean (Midland rail line)
16. Barkers Bridge, West Swan Road, Guildford
17. Whiteman Bridge, Middle Swan
18. Upper Swan Bridge, Upper Swan

“Fremantle” redirects here. ... Fremantle Line is a suburban railway line in Perth, Australia. ... Stirling Highway is allocated State Route 5. ... Narrows Bridge viewed from South Perth. ... The Kwinana Freeway is a long fast road linking Perth with Kwinana and beyond. ... The Mitchell Freeway is a 26 kilometre major arterial road in Perth, Western Australia linking Perth with the northern suburbs. ... Mandurah Line is a suburban railway line currently under construction in Perth, Australia. ... Mandurah Line is a suburban railway line currently under construction in Perth, Australia. ... The Causeway is the name of two bridges which span the Swan River in Western Australia at the eastern end of Perth Water. ... Heirisson Island is named after Midshipman Francois Boniface Heirisson, who discovered it in June 1801. ... This article is about an inner southern suburb of Perth. ... East Perth is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within close proximity to the Perth CBD. It was in the early twentieth century the location of a gas works, a power station, railway yard, and sheds. ... Armadale Line is a suburban railway line in Perth, Australia. ... Entering the Northbridge tunnel on the Graham Farmer Freeway, Perth. ... Transperth Maylands Train Station Maylands is a suburb approximately 5 kilometres north-east of Perth located on the shore of the Swan River. ... Tonkin Highway is allocated State Route 4 Tonkin Highway is a major arterial road in Perth, Western Australia. ... Bayswater is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, situated approximately 10km from Perths GPO. The City of Bayswater is Local Government Area of Western Australia. ... The Town of Bassendean is a Local Government Area of Western Australia, located in the Perth metropolitan area some seven kilometers east of the CBD. The Town of Bassendean maintains 97 km of roads, and has a population of 13,362. ... Midland Line is a suburban railway line in Perth, Western Australia. ... Guildford, Western Australia Guildford was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permiment fresh water supply. ... Middle Swan is a rural suburb of Perth, Western Australia in the Swan Valley, and belongs to the City of Swan local government area. ... Upper Swan is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

Administration

The Swan River Trust brings together eight representatives from the community, State and local government authorities with an interest in the Swan and Canning rivers to form a single body responsible for planning, protecting and managing Perth's river system.

The Trust meets twice a month to provide advice to the Minister for the Environment, the Western Australian Planning Commission and local governments to guide development of the Swan and Canning rivers.

Photo gallery

Notes

References

• Seddon, George (1970). Swan River Landscapes. University of Western Australia: Printing Press. ISBN 0-85564-043-X. 
• Burnignham, Nick (2004). Messing About in Earnest. Fremantle Arts Centre Press. ISBN 1-920731-25-3. 
• Brearley, Anne, Ernest Hodgkin's Swanland : estuaries and coastal lagoons of South-western Australia Crawley, W.A. : University of Western Australia Press for the Ernest Hodgkin Trust for Estuary Education and Research and National Trust of Australia (WA), 2005. ISBN 1-920694-38-2

Further reading

• Thompson, James (1911) Improvements to Swan River navigation 1830-1840 [cartographic material] Perth, W.A. : Western Australian Institution of Engineers, 1911. (Perth : Govt. Printer) Battye Library note: - Issued as Drawing no. 1 accompanying Inaugural address by Thompson 31st March 1910 as first president of the Western Australian Institution of Engineers, - Cadastral base map from Lands and Surveys Dept with additions by Thompson showing river engineering works from Burswood to Hierrison [i.e., Heirisson] islands and shorelines as they existed 1830-1840; includes Aboriginal place names along Swan River Estuary.

External links

• Swan River Trust
• Bridging to South Perth by Lloyd Margetts A copy of his speech given to the South Perth Historical Society.

31°56′50″S, 115°54′58″E