Flinders River

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title: "Flinders River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-queensland", "north-west-queensland", "gulf-of-carpentaria"] topic_path: "general/rivers-of-queensland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flinders_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

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

FieldValue
nameFlinders
name_nativemis (Yirandhali language)
name_etymologyIn honour of Matthew Flinders
imageLooking downstream along the Flinders River while crossing on the Burke Developmental Road, Normanton, June 2019 01.jpg
image_size280
image_captionLooking downstream along the Flinders River while crossing on the Burke Developmental Road, 2019
pushpin_mapAustralia Queensland
pushpin_map_captionLocation of Flinders River mouth in Queensland
subdivision_type1Country
subdivision_name1Australia
subdivision_type2State
subdivision_name2Queensland
subdivision_type3Region
subdivision_name3North West Queensland, Gulf Country
subdivision_type5Settlements
subdivision_name5, , , , , Burke and Wills Junction
length1004 km
discharge1_avg122.2 m3/s
discharge1_max570.2 m3/s
source1Burra Range, Great Dividing Range
source1_locationReedy Springs
source1_elevation816 m
mouthGulf of Carpentaria
mouth_locationwest of
mouth_coordinates
mouth_elevation0 m
basin_size109000 km2
tributaries_leftCloncurry River, Corella River, Bynoe River
tributaries_rightSaxby River
extra
::

| name = Flinders | name_native = mis (Yirandhali language) | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = In honour of Matthew Flinders | image = Looking downstream along the Flinders River while crossing on the Burke Developmental Road, Normanton, June 2019 01.jpg | image_size = 280 | image_caption = Looking downstream along the Flinders River while crossing on the Burke Developmental Road, 2019 | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Australia Queensland | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= Location of Flinders River mouth in Queensland | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Australia | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Queensland | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = North West Queensland, Gulf Country | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = Settlements | subdivision_name5 = , , , , , Burke and Wills Junction | length = 1004 km | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = 122.2 m3/s | discharge1_max = 570.2 m3/s | source1 = Burra Range, Great Dividing Range | source1_location = Reedy Springs | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 816 m | mouth = Gulf of Carpentaria | mouth_location = west of | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 0 m | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = 109000 km2 | tributaries_left = Cloncurry River, Corella River, Bynoe River | tributaries_right = Saxby River | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = The Flinders River is the longest river in Queensland, Australia, at approximately 1004 km. It was named in honour of the explorer Matthew Flinders. The catchment is sparsely populated and mostly undeveloped. The Flinders rises on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in North West Queensland and flows generally north-west through the Gulf Country, across a large, flat clay pan, before entering the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Course and features

The River rises in the Burra Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, 110 km north-east of Hughenden and flows in a westerly direction past Hughenden, Richmond and Julia Creek, then north-west to the Gulf of Carpentaria 25 km west of . The catchment is bordered to the south by the Selwyn Range.

At 1004 km in length, it is the eighth-longest river in Australia. The catchment covers 109000 km2. The primary land use in the catchment is grazing and other agriculture, the catchment covers 1.5% of the continent.

A total of 36 tributaries flow into the Flinders, While there are no dams on the Flinders River there are several on tributaries including Lake Mary Kathleen, Chinaman Creek Dam, and Corella Dam. Hughenden Irrigation Project Corporation has proposed building a diversion weir on the Flinders River downstream of Hughenden to supply a 161,000 megalitre offstream storage. Other smaller tributaries include: Range Creek, Morepork Creek, Oxley Creek, Canterbury Creek, Dutton River, Back Valley Creek, L-Tree Creek, Gorman Creek, Hazlewood Creek, Nonda Creek, Eurimpy Creek, Yambore Creek, Bynoe River and Armstrong Creek. The river flows through one permanent waterhole, Flagstone waterhole.

Several towns are located within the catchment including: McKinlay, Burke and Wills Junction, Hughenden, Richmond, Julia Creek and Cloncurry.

The river has a mean annual discharge of 3857 GL.

The riverbed is composed of silt with clay and sand, sand and gravel, and gravel with cobble.

In 2015, the population living within the catchment was 6,600.

Flora

Vegetation along the river in the upper catchment includes riparian woodlands composed of paperbarks including; Melaleuca argentea, Melaleuca bracteata and Melaleuca fluviatilis and sub-dominant eucalypts including river red gum, coolabah, with minor bauhinia. Other species found include the wattle. Infestations of weeds such as prickly acacia, Noogoora burr, rubber vine and chonky apple are also found. The understorey is dominated by a closed cover of riparian grasses including native couch on the sandy loams adjacent the stream channels.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Edward_Jukes_Greig_-Arrival_of_Burke&_Wills_at_Flinders_River,_1862.jpg" caption="Edward Jukes Greig - ''Arrival of Burke & Wills at Flinders River'', 1862"] ::

The traditional owners of the area are the Kalkadoon, Mitakoodi, Kukatj, Guthaarn, Mayi-Yapi, Mayi-Kulan, Mayi-Thakurti, Ngawun, Wanamara, Mbara, Yirandali and Gugu-Badhun peoples, who have inhabited the area for thousands of years.

Jirandali (also known as Yirandali, Warungu, and Yirandhali) is an Australian Aboriginal language of North-West Queensland, particularly the Hughenden area. The language region includes the local government area of the Shire of Flinders, including Dutton River, Flinders River, Mount Sturgeon, Caledonia, Richmond, Corfield, Winton, Torrens, Tower Hill, Landsborough Creek, Lammermoor, Hughenden, and Tangorin.

Wanamarra (also known as Maykulan and Wunumura) is an Australian Aboriginal language in North West Queensland. The language region includes areas within the Shire of McKinlay, Shire of Cloncurry and Shire of Richmond, including the Flinders River area, and the towns of Kynuna and Richmond.

Dalleburra (also known as Dalebura, Dal-leyburra, Yirandali) is a language of North-West Queensland, particularly Lammermoor Station via Hughenden. The Dalleburra language region includes the local government boundaries of the Flinders Shire Council.

The Flinders River was named in 1841 by Captain Wickham and Lieutenant John Lort Stokes of , in honour of the explorer Matthew Flinders. Stokes charted and surveyed the estuary of the Flinders and Albert rivers, and named many other features in the area, including Disaster Inlet, Morning Inlet and the Van Diemen River.

Robert O'Hara Burke, William John Wills, Charles Gray, and John King reached the river delta in 1861, completing the goal of their expedition to cross the continent from south to north. Gray died on the journey back to Cooper Creek, and both Burke and Wills died after reaching the creek to find their depot abandoned. King survived with the help of the indigenous Yandruwandha people.

The first pastoralist to stock country along the Flinders was James Gibson who established Prairie Station in 1861. In 1864 more cattle stations were established by Gibson including Millungera and Taldora Stations. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/StateLibQld_1_164135_Flooding_of_the_Flinders_River_at_Hughenden,_January_1917.jpg" caption="Flooding of the Flinders River at Hughenden, January 1917"] ::

Massive flooding occurred along the river in July 1870. One station lost over 4,000 sheep and roads were cut. In 1917 even larger floods were recorded, with Hughenden inundated several people drowned. More heavy flooding occurred in 1955, 1960, 1974, 1991 and 2000.

In 2003, licences to take water from the river were first released when a pastoralist, Corbett Tritton, applied for an irrigation licence. He successfully grew crops like sorghum and cotton on his cattle station and soon other graziers were interested. A moratorium on the issuing of licences followed, but was lifted in 2013.

Heavy rainfall in Queensland in early 2019 resulted in major flooding along the Flinders, considered the worst in half a century. The broad flood plain has allowed the Flinders to stretch as wide as 60 km. The rising water also caused devastation to farmers with heavy losses to cattle herds.

References

References

  1. (1862). "Exploration expedition: letter from Commander Norman reporting the return of the "Victoria" from the Gulf of Carpentaria : together with reports and correspondence.".
  2. (2015). "Map of Flinders River, QLD". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia.
  3. ruyce, alex. "The Land - Overview". Southern Gulf Catchments.
  4. (18 November 2010). "Longest Rivers". Commonwealth of Australia.
  5. "Flood Warning System For The Flinders River". Bureau of Meteorology.
  6. "Water resources - Overview - Queensland: Flinders River". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
  7. (18 February 2013). "From cattle country to crops: Flinders River moratorium lifted". [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]].
  8. Shilton, Peter. (2005). "Natural Areas of Queensland". Goldpress.
  9. "Hughenden Irrigation Project Details".
  10. Alisha Steward. "Terrestrial invertebrates of dry river beds are not simply subsets of riparian assemblages". [[Griffith University]].
  11. "BirdLife International - conserving the world's birds".
  12. "Flinders River catchment". TRaCK.
  13. Tait, Jim. (July 1998). "Richmond Dam and irrigation development proposal ecological issues". [[James Cook University]].
  14. "Guugu Yimithirr".
  15. "Wanamarra".
  16. "Indigenous languages map of Queensland".
  17. Palmer, Edward. (1903). "Early Days in North Queensland". [[Project Gutenberg]].
  18. "Archive: Harden Up Chronological History of Flooding 1857-2010". Green Cross Australia.
  19. Berlinger, Joshua. (14 February 2019). "Australian river swells to 37 miles wide due to flooding, creates its own weather system". [[CNN]].

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