The Wakefield River is an

ephemeral river A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams ar ...

that flows to an

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

in the Australian state of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

Course and features

River wakefield in flood - old whitwarta bridge

The river rises above , flowing southward, passing the towns of Watervale and

Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...

, where it is fed by several small creeks, and then curves to flow westerly past the town of

Balaklava Balaklava ( uk, Балаклáва, russian: Балаклáва, crh, Balıqlava, ) is a settlement on the Crimean Peninsula and part of the city of Sevastopol. It is an administrative center of Balaklava Raion that used to be part of the Crim ...

into the head of

Gulf St Vincent Gulf St Vincent, sometimes referred to as St Vincent Gulf, St Vincent's Gulf or Gulf of St Vincent, is the eastern of two large inlets of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, the other being the larger Sp ...

Port Wakefield Port Wakefield may refer to. Australia *Port Wakefield, South Australia, a town and locality * Port Wakefield railway line, part of the now-closed Balaklava-Moonta railway line in South Australia * Port Wakefield Circuit, a former motor racing cir ...

. The river's

catchment area In human geography, a catchment area is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...

covers . Three quarters of the catchment is used for agricultural purposes. The major tributaries of the Wakefield River are the Eyre, Skillogalee, Pine, Rices, Hermitage and Woolshed Flat Creeks. Skillogalee Creek, which rises in the

Skilly Hills The Skilly Hills are a range of hills which make up part of the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia's Mid North region. They comprise several long parallel ridges of low hills which run generally north south, parallel to the Horrocks Highwa ...

near

Penwortham Penwortham () is a town in South Ribble, Lancashire, England, on the south bank of the River Ribble facing the city of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The town is at the most westerly crossing point of the river, with major road and rail links cr ...

, is a significant tributary of the Wakefield River. The high rainfall in the Skilly Hills contributes to the Skillogalee Creek being one of the few permanently flowing watercourses in the region. Dennis Creek is another tributary of the Wakefield River. It is a very short ephemeral stream which is located in the

Clare Valley The Clare Valley is a valley located in South Australia about north of Adelaide in the Clare and Gilbert Valleys council area. It is the river valley formed by the Hutt River but is also strongly associated with the roughly parallel Hill Riv ...

town of

and only flows during periods of rain. Its headwaters are located in the hills on the western side of the town and it runs along a small gully, passing under

Main North Road Main North Road is the major north-south arterial route through the suburbs north of the Adelaide City Centre in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. It continues north through the settled areas of South Australia and is a total of long, fro ...

, and into the Wakefield River. The creek was named after James Dennis, the father of

C.J. Dennis Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis (7 September 1876 – 22 June 1938), better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet and journalist known for his best-selling verse novel ''The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke'' (1915). Alongside ...

, who ran a hotel in the town for a time.

History

The first recorded sighting of the river was from

John Hill John Hill may refer to: Business * John Henry Hill (1791–1882), American businessman, educator and missionary * John Hill (planter) (1824–1910), Scottish-born American industrialist and planter * John Hill (businessman) (1847–1926), Austral ...

(incorrectly named William Hill by some sources) in early April 1839, who named it after

Edward Gibbon Wakefield Edward Gibbon Wakefield (20 March 179616 May 1862) is considered a key figure in the establishment of the colonies of South Australia and New Zealand (where he later served as a member of parliament). He also had significant interests in Britis ...

, the promoter of the scheme of systematic colonization that led to the founding of the Colony of South Australia. Hill was embarked upon the expedition which led to his discovery of the

. The second European to visit was explorer

Edward John Eyre Edward John Eyre (5 August 181530 November 1901) was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and Governor of Jamaica. Early life Eyre was born in Whipsnade, Bedfordshire, shortly before his family moved to ...

, in late May 1839, who records that he encamped, 'upon a chain of large ponds of excellent water called by Mr. Hill the Wakefield.' E.J. Eyre's Autobiographical Narrative, 1832-1839, edited by Jill Waterhouse (Caliban, London, 1984), page 196.

References

External links

Wakefield River Catchment
Environmental Protection Authority (South Australia) Rivers of South Australia Adelaide Plains Mid North (South Australia) {{SouthAustralia-river-stub

Course and features

History

See also

References

External links