The Sandover River is an
ephemeral river in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
of
Australia located in northeast
Central Australia. It is the only major tributary of the
Georgina River
The Georgina River is the north-westernmost of the three major rivers of the Channel Country in Central West Queensland, that also flows through a portion of the Northern Territory, in central Australia. Part of the Lake Eyre basin, the Geor ...
that does not rise in
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
. Instead it flows from the eastern
Macdonnell Ranges, northward to enter the Georgina near
Urandangi
Urandangi (formerly also spelled Urandangie) is an outback town in the locality of Piturie in the Shire of Boulia, Queensland, Australia.
Geography
The town is located on the banks of the Georgina River in Central West Queensland, north west ...
. The highest point in the catchment is Bald Hill at , but it enters the Georgina at altitudes below .
Course and features
The ephemeral Sandover River is usually dry except when the northern monsoon moves unusually far south into the continent. The average annual rainfall in the
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 ...
is typically around but varies greatly: in dry years like 1928 the total may be as low as , but in very wet years like 1974, 2000, 2001 and 2010, it can be as high as . Most of this rain falls in the summer: between December and March monthly totals have on several occasions exceeded the mean annual rainfall. Flows in the Sandover often fail to reach the Georgina, instead drying out in waterholes well west of Urandangie. However, in very wet periods, such as 1920–1921, 1973-1977 and 1999–2001, water from the Sandover may not only reach the Georgina, but actually flow (via a circuitous route) into
Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre ( ), officially known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, is an endorheic lake in east-central Far North South Australia, some north of Adelaide. The shallow lake is the depocentre of the vast endorheic Lake Eyre basin, and contains th ...
in
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 ...
.
The river is reported as passing through the localities of
Costello and
Sandover. Both the
Sandover Highway
The Sandover Highway is an outback unsealed track in the Northern Territory between the Plenty Highway north of Alice Springs and the Northern Territory/Queensland border.
Description
The highway's name is derived from the Sandover River becau ...
and the
Sandover Stock Route are named after the river because their respective alignment follow that of the river.
History
The river was named in 1878 after
William Sandover
William Sandover (21 September 1822 – 5 March 1909) was a British hotelier and politician in South Australia, the father of Alfred Sandover MBE and great grandfather of Raymond Sandover DSO, ED.
History
He was born in Cornwood, Devon, Engla ...
, the then President of the
Legislative Council of South Australia
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly. It sits in Parli ...
, reportedly by the explorer and botanist.
Charles Winnecke.
See also
*
List of rivers of Northern Territory
*
Sandover Highway
The Sandover Highway is an outback unsealed track in the Northern Territory between the Plenty Highway north of Alice Springs and the Northern Territory/Queensland border.
Description
The highway's name is derived from the Sandover River becau ...
References
External links
*
*
*
Sandover
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