The Roper River is a large perennial river located in the

Katherine region The Katherine Region, known as "Big River Country", is one of five major regions in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is situated just below the tropical Top End. The Katherine region covers an area of , and has a population of 18,646, mak ...

of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

of Australia.

Location and features

Formed by the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the Waterhouse River and Roper Creek, the Roper River rises east of Mataranka in the

Elsey National Park Elsey is a national park in the Northern Territory of Australia, extending from 2 km to 19 km east of Mataranka and 378 km southeast of Darwin. Features of the park include Mataranka Falls, and the “Mataranka Thermal Pools” ...

and flows generally east for over to meet the sea in

Limmen Bight Limmen Bight is a bight, or large, open bay, located in the Northern Territory of Australia at the western end of the Gulf of Carpentaria about east of the town of Katherine. It is part of the traditional lands and waters of the Marra peopl ...

on the

Gulf of Carpentaria The Gulf of Carpentaria (, ) is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies between Australia and New Guinea). The northern boundary is ...

. The river is joined by fifteen

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 the Chambers, Strangways, Jalboi, Hodgson and the Wilton Rivers. The river descends over its course and has a

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 ...

of , which is one of the largest river catchment areas in the Northern Territory. The Roper River is navigable for about , until the tidal limit at

Roper Bar Roper Bar is a location in Australia's Northern Territory. It lies on the traditional land of the Ngalakgan people, who refer to it as ''Yurlhbunji''. This part of Australia is extremely remote for travellers, although there are a number of Abo ...

, and forms the southern boundary of the region known as

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, with the term still in use. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territory capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compan ...

Mataranka Hot Springs Elsey is a national park in the Northern Territory of Australia, extending from 2 km to 19 km east of Mataranka and 378 km southeast of Darwin. Features of the park include Mataranka Falls, and the “Mataranka Thermal Pools” ...

and the township of Mataranka lie close to the river at its western end. Port Roper lies near its mouth on Limmen Bight. The river has a mean annual outflow of .

Etymology

The first European to explore the Roper River was

Ludwig Leichhardt Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (), known as Ludwig Leichhardt, (23 October 1813 – c. 1848) was a German explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.Ken Eastwood,'Cold case: Leichhardt's dis ...

in 1845 as he made his way from

Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...

Port Essington Port Essington is an inlet and historic site located on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory. It was the site of an early attempt at British settlement, but now exists only as a remote ...

. Leichhardt crossed the river at

, a rocky shelf which conveniently lies at the high tide limit on the river. He named the river after John Roper, a member of the expedition.

Roper River Mission

The Roper River Mission was established by the Church of England Missionary Society in 1908. After it was closed in 1968, the government took over management of the community. In 1988, control of the town was handed to the Yugul Mangi Community Government Council, and the township was renamed Ngukurr.

References

Rivers of the Northern Territory {{NorthernTerritory-river-stub

Location and features

Etymology

Roper River Mission

See also

References