Bogan River

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title: "Bogan River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["tributaries-of-the-darling-river"] description: "River in Australia" topic_path: "general/tributaries-of-the-darling-river" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogan_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary River in Australia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

Field	Value
name	Bogan River
name_etymology	1. Aboriginal: the birthplace of a notable headman of the local tribe;
	image
image_caption	The Bogan River at Nyngan
map_size	250
pushpin_map	Australia New South Wales
pushpin_map_size	250
pushpin_map_caption	Location of the Bogan River mouth in New South Wales
	subdivision_type1
subdivision_name1	Australia
subdivision_type2	State
subdivision_name2	New South Wales
subdivision_type3	Region
subdivision_name3	Central West, Orana
subdivision_name5
length	617 km
discharge1_max
source1	Little River (Parkes)
source1_location	Cooks Myalls, near Parkes
source1_coordinates
source1_elevation	305 m
mouth	Darling River
mouth_location	Barwon River, near Bourke
mouth_coordinates
mouth_elevation	111 m
river_system	Macquarie–Barwon sub-catchment,
Darling River catchment,
Murray-Darling basin
basin_size	18000 km2
tributaries_left	Genaren Creek, Sandy Creek, Bulbodney Creek, Little Bogan River
tributaries_right	Cookopie Creek, Burrill Creek, Gundong Creek, Tomingley Creek, Mulla Mulla Cowal, Moonagee Cowal, Gunningbar Creek, Nyangi Bogan Cowal, Duck Creek, Bywash Billabong, Kellys Cowal
extra	Basin area is upstream of Nyngan only
::

| name = Bogan River | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = 1. Aboriginal: the birthplace of a notable headman of the local tribe; | image = Bogan River-Nyngan.JPG | image_size = | image_caption = The Bogan River at Nyngan | map = | map_size = 250 | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Australia New South Wales | pushpin_map_size = 250 | pushpin_map_caption = Location of the Bogan River mouth in New South Wales | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Australia | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = New South Wales | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = Central West, Orana | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = 617 km | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location = | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | source1 = Little River (Parkes) | source1_location = Cooks Myalls, near Parkes | source1_coordinates = | source1_elevation = 305 m | mouth = Darling River | mouth_location = Barwon River, near Bourke | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 111 m | progression = | river_system = Macquarie–Barwon sub-catchment, Darling River catchment, Murray-Darling basin | basin_size = 18000 km2 | tributaries_left = Genaren Creek, Sandy Creek, Bulbodney Creek, Little Bogan River | tributaries_right = Cookopie Creek, Burrill Creek, Gundong Creek, Tomingley Creek, Mulla Mulla Cowal, Moonagee Cowal, Gunningbar Creek, Nyangi Bogan Cowal, Duck Creek, Bywash Billabong, Kellys Cowal | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = Basin area is upstream of Nyngan only Bogan River, a perennial river that is part of the Macquarie–Barwon catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the central west and Orana regions of New South Wales, Australia.

From its origin near Parkes, the Bogan River flows for about 617 km in length and flows into the Barwon River between Brewarrina and Bourke.

The name Bogan is supposedly an Australian Aboriginal (Wiradjuri or Ngiyambaa) term meaning 'the birthplace of a notable headman of the local tribe'; this may be in reference to the Wiradjuri people of the Bulgandramine Aboriginal Mission, whose word for "leader" is “Balgabalgar”. The word is also a Gaelic term meaning bog.

Geography

From the foothills of the Herveys Range, the Bogan River rises to the west of the headwaters of the Little River at Cooks Myalls, Other sources have claimed that Bugwah Cowal, and Burrill, Duck and Gunningbar Creeks are important tributaries.

Unlike the other main rivers of inland New South Wales, the Bogan does not rise in the well-watered highland areas, so its flow is low and erratic and not much use for irrigation.

Major weirs along the watercourse are at Muddal Weir, located west of Peak Hill; the Nyngan Weir, located north of Nyngan; and Gongolgon Weir, where the mean daily flow exceeds 700 ML.

The Kamilaroi Highway crosses the Bogan River 43 km east of Bourke.

History

Aboriginal history

A number of Aboriginal peoples lived in the lands surrounding the Bogan River for many thousands of years. In the area surrounding Peak Hill, the indigenous inhabitants of the area were the Wiradjuri clan. In the area surrounding Nyngan, the Ngiyambaa Aboriginal people were the principal custodians of the land.

Late modern history

The river was crossed by John Oxley in 1817, but was named by Charles Sturt in his 1828-9 expedition as New Years Creek on 1 January 1829. It was also called the Bogan River prior to Major Sir Thomas Mitchell reaching here in 1835.

The Albert Priest Channel was built in 1941 and this assists the water supplies of Nyngan and Cobar with Macquarie River water. It is about 60 km long, extending from Gunningbar Creek near Warren to the Bogan River upstream of Nyngan. A pipeline takes water from Nyngan to Cobar.

In April 1990, major flooding occurred along the river and in Nyngan, and despite a massive effort by local people to build levee walls using sandbags, 2,500 people had to be evacuated from the town. The floods caused A$50 million damage. Other significant flooding of the Bogan River occurred in 1928, 1950, 1989 and other years. In 1989 the significant flooding was downstream of Nyngan. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63179773

References

References

1. (1993). "Reader's Digest Guide to Australian Places". Reader's Digest (Australia) Pty. Limited.
2. (1963). "The Australian Encyclopaedia". Halstead Press.
3. Cobb, John. (3 June 2009). "On the origins of the bogan as a species". The Punch.
4. (10 November 1978). "Bogan River".
5. (March 2011). "Water resources and management overview: Macquarie-Bogan catchment". Government of New South Wales.
6. "Map of Bogan River, NSW". Bonzle Digital Maps of Australia.
7. (2012). "Attractions: The Bogan River". Bogan Shire Council.
8. "Macquarie−Bogan River Catchment: Map". Government of New South Wales.
9. (2011). "Bogan River Bridge Replacement HW29". Government of New South Wales.
10. (2013). "Peak Hill". Heritage Australia Publishing.
11. (2013). "Nyngan". Heritage Australia Publishing.
12. Trangie Nevertire Irrigation Scheme webpage https://www.tnis.net.au/index.html
13. "1990 Nyngan flood". Government of New South Wales.
14. (25 February 1928). "The Flood in Bogan River". Trove: [[National Library of Australia]].
15. Townsville Daily Bulletin, 30 Nov 1950, p 2

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