Isdell River is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

in the Kimberley region of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, named in 1898 by explorer

Frank Hann Frank Hugh Hann (19 October 184521 August 1921) was an Australian pastoralist and explorer. Early life Hann was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Hann. Fellow explorer William Hann was his older brother. They were born in Wiltshire, England a ...

after James Isdell, who was prominent in the region and later served as a member of parliament. Walcott Inlet at the mouth of the Isdell River

The river rises in the Packhorse Range and flows in a south- westerly direction until it reaches Isdell Gorge at the foot of the Wunaamin Miliwundi Range where it changes to a north-westerly direction before discharging into the eastern end of

Walcott Inlet Walcott Inlet is an estuary located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It flows into Collier Bay, in the Indian Ocean, via a narrow gap known as Yule Entrance. The inlet was named on 19 June 1865 by Trevarton Charles Sholl after ...

. The river has eleven

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...

, including Sprigg River, Woolybutt Creek, Cadjuput Creek, Woomera Creek and Tulmulnga Creek. The

traditional owners Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have rights ...

are the Wangina Wunggurr Willingin people, who maintain a strong connection to the river despite disruptions by pastoral activities.

References

Rivers of the Kimberley region of Western Australia {{WesternAustralia-river-stub