Canning River
River in Perth, Western Australia
title: "Canning River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["swan-river-(western-australia)", "canning-river-(western-australia)", "1962-british-empire-and-commonwealth-games-venues", "george-canning"] description: "River in Perth, Western Australia" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canning_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary River in Perth, Western Australia ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Canning River |
| name_other | |
| image | File:Canning River, Western Australia, Mount Henry.jpg |
| image_caption | Canning River from southern shore looking north towards Mount Henry overlooking Aquinas Bay |
| subdivision_type1 | Country |
| subdivision_name1 | Australia |
| subdivision_type2 | State |
| subdivision_name2 | Western Australia |
| subdivision_type5 | City |
| subdivision_name5 | Perth |
| length_km | 110 |
| source1_location | Wandering{{cite web |
| url | https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/swan-canning-riverpark/about-the-river-system |
| title | About the river system |
| website | Parks and Wildlife Service |
| access-date | 18 October 2018 |
| mouth | Swan River |
| mouth_location | Melville Water |
| mouth_coordinates | |
| tributaries_left | Bull Creek, Bannister Creek, Lambertia Creek, Southern River, Churchmans Brook |
| tributaries_right | Yule Brook, Bickley Brook, Ellis Brook, Stoney Brook, Stinton Creek |
| :: |
::callout[type=note] the river in Western Australia ::
| name = Canning River | name_other = | name_etymology = | image = File:Canning River, Western Australia, Mount Henry.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Canning River from southern shore looking north towards Mount Henry overlooking Aquinas Bay | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption = | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Australia | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Western Australia | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = City | subdivision_name5 = Perth | length_km = 110 | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location = | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | source1 = | source1_location = Wandering{{cite web |url=https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/swan-canning-riverpark/about-the-river-system |title=About the river system |website=Parks and Wildlife Service |access-date=18 October 2018 | source1_coordinates = | source1_elevation = | mouth = Swan River | mouth_location = Melville Water | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = | tributaries_left = Bull Creek, Bannister Creek, Lambertia Creek, Southern River, Churchmans Brook | tributaries_right = Yule Brook, Bickley Brook, Ellis Brook, Stoney Brook, Stinton Creek | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra =
The Canning River ( or ) is a major tributary of the Swan River in the South West Land Division of Western Australia. It is home to much wildlife including dolphins, pelicans, swans and many other bird species.
Source and route
With headwaters on the Darling Scarp, the Canning meanders through suburbs of Perth on the Swan Coastal Plain, including Cannington, Thornlie, Riverton, Shelley, Rossmoyne and Mount Pleasant, before joining the Swan at Melville Water just downstream of the Canning Bridge.{{cite web | publisher = About Australia | title = Canning Dam | url = http://www.about-australia.com/travel-guides/western-australia/perth/attractions/natural/canning-river/ | access-date = 6 June 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090703152904/http://www.about-australia.com/travel-guides/western-australia/perth/attractions/natural/canning-river/ | archive-date = 3 July 2009
Bridges
- Canning Bridge
- Mount Henry Bridge
- Shelley Bridge
- Riverton Bridge
- Kent Street Weir Bridge
- Greenfield Street Bridge
- Canning River Downstream Bridge
- Canning River Upstream Bridge
- Djarlgarra Bridge Easthbound
- Djarlgarra Bridge Westbound
- unnamed railway bridge
- Royal Street Bridge
- unnamed pedestrian bridge
- Burslem Bridge
- unnamed railway bridge
- Jenna Biddi Footbridge
- unnamed railway bridge
- unnamed pedestrian bridge
- Cargeeg Bridge
- unnamed road bridge
- Manning Road Footbridge
Points
- Coffee Point (east of Point Heathcote on the Swan River)
- Deepwater Point (on western shore in Mount Pleasant)
- Salter Point (very narrow part of river between Salter Point suburb on north side, Rossmoyne/Shelley border on south)
- Prisoner Point (south shore in Shelley suburb, east of Shelley Beach)
- Wadjup Point (north west of Shelley Bridge)
History
|align=right |width=320 |height=326 |perrow=1 |mode=nolines
|File:Canning Bridge.jpg |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,
|File:Canning River and Bull Creek 1932.jpg |Canning River and Bull Creek, The first European contact was in 1801 when a French exploring party spotted the mouth. The crew subsequently named the mouth Entrée Moreau after Charles Moreau, a midshipman with the party.
The Canning River received its contemporary name in 1827 when Captain James Stirling aboard following an examination of the region in March 1827 named the river after George Canning, an eminent British statesman who was Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time and whose government facilitated the funds for the expedition.
In November 1829, just five months after the founding of the Swan River Colony, an exploring party led by now Governor James Stirling chose a site for a new town named Kelmscott{{cite web | title = European Settlement | url = http://www.armadale.wa.gov.au/about_armadale/history/european_settlement/ | access-date = 2009-06-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090608164836/http://www.armadale.wa.gov.au/about_armadale/history/european_settlement/ | archive-date = 8 June 2009
{{anchor |convict-fence}}Convicts
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Canning_River,_Western_Australia,_Reeds.jpg" caption="Part of the Convict Fence in Canning River between Shelley Foreshore Reserve and Salter Point"] ::
Convicts partly constructed and maintained the Canning River Convict Fence. This structure is still a notable landmark to this day. It was built primarily for the use of barges carrying timber from Mason's Timber Mill in the Darling Ranges.
Algae bloom
Algal blooms occur naturally in the Canning River system; they are caused by a buildup of nutrients in the river. Human activities including farming, residential gardens and parklands are the major causes of increases in levels; the blooms are potentially toxic to both mammal and marine life. The Swan River Trust monitors the levels of nutrients and growth of the algae, issuing warnings and closing sections of the river to all activities. The Trust also operates cleanup programs to reduce the amount of nutrients reaching the river, as well phosphorus removal and oxygenation in areas were blooms have been identified.
The Trust is encouraged by the appearance of Azolla carpets on sections of the Canning River as this fern is known to reduce the amount of sunlight available to the algae as well as absorbing large amounts of phosphorus and other nutrients from the water. However, it is possible that Azolla carpets can cause deoxygenation and emit a strong sulphur smell. |align=center |width=227 |height=170 |mode=packed
|File:Canning river upstream kent st.jpg |Canning River without Azolla in February 2006
|File:Canning rv azolla 10 gnangarra.jpg |Same location covered in a carpet of Azolla in March 2007
References
References
- Kinsella, John. (2017). "Polysituatedness: A Poetics of Displacement". Oxford University Press.
- (2012). "Rivers of emotion : an emotional history of Derbarl Yerrigan and Djarlgarro Beelier: the Swan and Canning rivers". Australian Research Council. Centre of Excellence.
- "Discover the Swan and Canning rivers".
- {{LandInfo WA. r. C. 21 April 2013
- Carde, F.G.. (1991). "Along the Canning: A History of the City of Canning, Western Australia, Covering its progress from Roads Board to Shire, to Town, to City". City of Canning.
- McQueen, Jeanette. (1963). "Pioneers of the Canning District". Graylands Teachers' College.
- "Detail from 'Municipal Heritage Inventory'". City of Canning.
- (1979). "The Convict-Built 'Fence' in the Canning River". Records of the Western Australian Museum.
- LePage, J.S.H.. (1986). "Building A State: The Story of the Public Works Department of Western Australia 1829-1985". Water Authority of Western Australia.
- (16 March 2007). "''Algal Bloom'' - Swan River Trust media statement".
- (6 March 2007). "''Native fern on Canning River'' - Swan River Trust media statement".
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