NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Yarra River

Yarra River
Melbourne as seen from the south-east side along the Yarra River, home of many rowers and active crews
Basin countries	Australia
Length	242 km
Basin area	718,000 km²

The Yarra River is a river in southern Victoria, Australia. It is the river on which the city of Melbourne was founded. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2100x1400, 928 KB) Summary The Yarra River flowing past the Royal Botanical Gardens on the left and towards Birrarung Marr on the right on its way through the CBD. Taken with a Canon 5D and 24-105mm F/4L IS lens... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (blue outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (green lines) of a contiguous area. ... VIC redirects here. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ...

1 Name
2 Geography
3 Recreational use
4 Pollution
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading

Name

The river was called Birrarung by the Wurundjeri people who occupied the Yarra valley prior to British settlement. It was given the name Yarra Yarra in 1835 by John Helder Wedge of the Port Phillip Association, in the mistaken belief that this was the Aboriginal name for the river. Wedge wrote: The Wurundjeri are Aboriginal people of the Kulin nation, who occupied what is now Melbourne, Australia prior to European settlement of the area. ... Hon. ... The Port Phillip Association was an early nineteenth century investment and pastoral company. ... Languages Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including Islam and various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group...

'On arriving in sight of the river, the two natives who were with me pointed to the river, and called out at it "Yarra", "Yarra", which at the time I imagined to be its name. But I afterwards learnt that the words were what they used to designate a waterfall, as they gave the same designation to a small fall in the Werribee River, as we crossed it on our way back to Indented Head.'

Indented Head is a coastal township in Victoria, Australia. ...

Geography

Map of Yarra River and its tributaries.

Yarra River as seen from Princes Bridge

The Yarra's lower reaches travel through central Melbourne. It is approximately 242 kilometres in length, with a mean annual flow of 718,000 megalitres. It is the most westerly snow fed river in Australia. The total catchment area is approximately 4000 square kilometres. Some of the Yarra's major tributaries include the Plenty River, Merri Creek, Darebin Creek, Gardiners Creek and the Moonee Ponds Creek. The Yarra was originally a tributary of the Maribyrnong River. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 486 pixelsFull resolution (972 Ã— 590 pixel, file size: 31 KB, MIME type: image/png) Map of Yarra River and its tributaries. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 486 pixelsFull resolution (972 Ã— 590 pixel, file size: 31 KB, MIME type: image/png) Map of Yarra River and its tributaries. ... Princes Bridge The Princes Bridge is a historic bridge that crosses the Yarra River in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... â€œkmâ€ redirects here. ... Plenty river is a tributary of the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia. ... The Merri Creek The Merri Creek is a waterway in Melbourne, Victoria. ... The Darebin Creek is a waterway in Melbourne, Victoria. ... Map of Gardiners Creek, Melbourne and its tributaries. ... Moonee Ponds Creek as a stormwater drain at Brunswick West. ...

Upper reaches

The river's source is a series of swamps in the upper reaches of the Yarra Ranges National Park, directly to the east of the Mt Baw Baw plateau, a thickly forested subalpine park, which is entirely closed-off to all except the employees of Melbourne Water. The park features extensive stands of mountain ash, a very tall eucalypt, tree ferns, as well as patches of remnant rainforest. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Yarra Ranges is a national park in Victoria (Australia), 92 km east of Melbourne. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Melbourne Water is the organisation that controls much of the water system in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia including the citys reservoirs, sewerage and drainage system. ... Bold text Binomial name F.Muell. ... Eucalypts are tree species belonging to three closely related genera, Angophora, Corymbia and Eucalyptus. ... Tree Fern refers to any fern that grows with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level. ...

The Upper Yarra Dam, one of a number of dams in the Yarra Catchment that supply most of Melbourne's water, is the furthest upstream point on the river visible to the general public (though the dam itself is closed off). The Upper Yarra Reservoir is located east of Melbourne, past Warburton. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ...

The first settlement the still-young river passes through is the small town of Reefton, but most of the river is surrounded by hills covered temperate forest until the timber and resort town of Warburton. The Woods Point Rd follows the river through this section. Warburton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Woods Point is a small town in Victoria, Australia. ...

Downstream of Warburton, the Yarra Valley gradually opens out and farms begin to appear, including beef and dairy farms, and by the town of Woori Yallock and the river's turn north increasingly large areas are covered by vineyards, forming the Yarra Valley wine region. Woori Yallock is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... The Yarra Valley of the Yarra River, originating in the Yarra Ranges approximately 60 kilometres east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

Yarra crossing, Punt Road. by W. Liardet,1840

At Healesville, the river turns west again and the stream bed becomes increasingly silty, reducing the clarity of the water, and by the commuter town of Yarra Glen it begins to take on the brownish colour that the lower reaches are known for. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (938x485, 97 KB)punt road crossing, Melbourne,1838 by WLiardet, 1838 Image more than 150years old. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (938x485, 97 KB)punt road crossing, Melbourne,1838 by WLiardet, 1838 Image more than 150years old. ... Location of Healesville in Victoria (red) Healesville is an outer-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 52km from the Melbourne centre and situated on the Watts river, a tributary of the Yarra River. ... Yarra Glen is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

Middle reaches

The river enters Melbourne's suburbs proper at Chirnside Park, but virtually all the river's length is surrounded by parkland, much retaining (or having been replanted with) extensive native vegetation. A bicycle and walking trail known as the Main Yarra Trail begins at Warrandyte and becomes the Yarra River Trail, and in the lower reaches, the Capital City Trail. The river is used extensively for kayaking at Templestowe, and canoes can often be seen throughout the suburban section. Whilst the water is not particularly clear, its quality is sufficient for edible fish to swim within it. Some small hobby farms are located in the floodplain area of the river, surprisingly close to central Melbourne and almost completely surrounded by suburbs. Chirnside Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... For other uses, see Bicycle (disambiguation). ... Warrandyte is an outlying semi-rural suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 27km east-north-east of the Melbourne central business district. ... // The Yarra River Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Yarra River through the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... â€¹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... Templestowe redirects here. ...

Heidelberg formed the home of the Heidelberg School, widely considered the first European painters to accurately capture the Australian landscape and its distinctive features. The walking trail features placards displaying some of their paintings at the settings they were actually painted; some features depicted remain clearly recognisable today. The Heidelberg School was an Australian art movement of the late 19th century. ...

View of the Yarra River as it flows through Central Melbourne at night, with the central business district on the left and Southbank on the right

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1517x700, 396 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Melbourne ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1517x700, 396 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Melbourne ... Southbank is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Australia in the state of Victoria. ...

Lower reaches

Below Dights Falls at Yarra Bend Park in inner Melbourne, the river becomes increasingly estuarine as it passes along the southern side of the central business district. This area forms the venue for the annual "Moomba" festival, which notably features an annual water skiing competition which attracts a huge crowd. The lower stretch of the river from Docklands to the Melbourne Cricket Ground was part of the final path of the Queen's Baton Relay of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Dights Falls on the Yarra River, Abbotsford. ... Studley Park Boathouse on the Yarra River Yarra Bend Park is a 260 hectare (642 acre) park in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. ... For the fictional creature Moomba from the final fantasy series, see http://en. ... // Water skiing began in 1922 when Ralph Samuelson strapped two boards to his feet and rigged a clothesline up to his boat on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota. ... The Melbourne Docklands (postcode: 3008) is a massive urban development in Melbourne, Australia. ... â€œMCGâ€ redirects here. ... The Queens Baton Relay, similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. ... The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Australia between March 15 and March 26, 2006. ...

Many of Melbourne's private schools, located close to the river, train their rowing crews on it. A coxless pair which is a sweep-oar boat. ...

Artificial fish on the Yarra during 2006 Commonwealth Games

The lower reaches feature a number of boat cruises, using especially low-roof boats to go under the many bridges across this section of the Yarra. The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Australia between March 15 and March 26, 2006. ...

Herring Island is a small island at South Yarra which has a punt which takes people on to the park. Herring Island is a small island located in Melbournes Yarra River at South Yarra approximately 3km from the city. ...

The area in front of old Customs House, Melbourne is a former turning basin for ships. It is the point which was once known as "Freshwater Place" and once had a set of cascades which prevented both salt water and larger ships from going further upstream. This series of rocks, originally used to cross the river, and referred to as the "Yarra Falls" was removed using explosives and divers in 1883. Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The final section passes through the Port of Melbourne and under the Bolte Bridge and the West Gate Bridge. The Port of Melbourne is Australias largest port for containerised and general cargo. ... The Bolte Bridge is a large twin Cantilever bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... The West Gate Bridge is a large cable-stayed bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

The river flows into Port Phillip Bay, the site being extensively altered as part of the Port of Melbourne, Australia's busiest seaport. Landsat 7 composite imagery of the bay. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Port. ...

Recreational use

The Yarra River is popular with rowers. There are several rowing sheds along the city stretch east of the Princes Bridge.

The Yarra is also popular for cycling. Two major off-road trails, the Yarra River Trail and Capital City Trail follow the river on its course through the city, while part of the Bayside Trail also connects with the river. // The Yarra River Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Yarra River through the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... â€¹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... // The Bayside Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians which follows the coastline of Port Phillip Bay through the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

The river is also popular for boaters. In the residential suburb of Toorak, some of the larger mansions have private boat moorings, whilst newer developments in Melbourne Docklands have larger marinas as does Pier 31 at Fisherman's Bend and Newport and Williamstown at the river's mouth. Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

Cruises go up and down the river. In many of the higher parts of the Yarra fishing is also common.

Pollution

Much of the inner metropolitan section of the river remains contaminated from industrial and domestic waste dumping, which dates from Melbourne's early settlement. The worst of this was eliminated through the 20th century, and since the 1980s a concerted effort to clean up the river has reduced pollution markedly, though not enough to permit swimming below Dights Falls. Dights Falls on the Yarra River, Abbotsford. ...

The major source of pollution at present is dog excrement, motor oil and other urban litter being washed into the river following rain. Human sewage leaking from broken pipes, illegal sewer and from overflows during rain is reportedly the current main source of bacterial contamination^[1]^[2].

Yarra River and Swan Street Bridge, opposite the Rod Laver Arena, the Eureka Tower and Southbank in the background along with Kings Domain and Royal Botanic Gardens

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 237 pixelsFull resolution (3000 Ã— 888 pixel, file size: 707 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Swan St Bridge (built in 1952) and the Yarra River by night - Melbourne, Australia If you are a (commercial) publisher and you want me to write... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 237 pixelsFull resolution (3000 Ã— 888 pixel, file size: 707 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Swan St Bridge (built in 1952) and the Yarra River by night - Melbourne, Australia If you are a (commercial) publisher and you want me to write... Rod Laver Arena is a part of the Melbourne Park complex located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and current venue for the Australian Open in tennis. ... The Eureka Tower is a residential building in the Southbank precinct of Melbourne, Australia. ... Southbank is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Australia in the state of Victoria. ... Kings Domain is part of the Domain Parklands in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on the south side of the Yarra River, that incorporates the Alexandra Gardens, Queen Victoria Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens. ... The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew are extensive gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond upon Thames and Kew in southwest London. ...

References

^ The Age - Human sewage key cause of Yarra's ills, says EPA.
^ Yarra inputs - Tracking sources of faecal pollution.

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