The Timbarra River is a
perennial river
A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to one whose flow is intermittent. In the abse ...
of the
Mitchell River catchment, located in the
East Gippsland
East Gippsland is the eastern region of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia covering 31,740 square kilometres (14%) of Victoria. It has a population of 80,114.
Australian Bureau of Statistics2006 Census Community Profile Series: East Gippsland (St ...
region of the
Australian state of
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
.
Course and features
The Timbarra River rises on the Nunniong Plains, below Blue Shirt Hill, that is part of the
Victorian Alps
The Victorian Alps, also known locally as the High Country, is a large mountain system in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. Occupying the majority of eastern Victoria, it is the southwestern half of the Australian Alps (the other ...
of the
Great Dividing Range; approximately east of .
The river flows through the Nunniong Plain and the Mount Elizabeth
scenic reserves; generally south, then east, then south, then south by east, then southwest, joined by the
Back River and three minor
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 drainag ...
, before reaching its
confluence with the
Tambo River about southeast of in the
Shire of East Gippsland
The Shire of East Gippsland is a local government area in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, located in the eastern part of the state. It covers an area of and in June 2018 had a population of 46,818.
It includes the towns of Bairnsdale, Benambra ...
.
The river descends over its
course;
[ much of which is through ]forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
ed mountain areas and steep gorges, with a bed of gravel, boulders and mud and numerous pools. Along its route it passes through the small settlement of Timbarra, about northwest of .
Together with the Nicholson
Nicholson may refer to:
People
*Nicholson (name), a surname, and a list of people with the name
Places Australia
* Nicholson, Victoria
* Nicholson, Queensland
* Nicholson County, New South Wales
* Nicholson River (disambiguation)
* Nicholson ...
, Tambo, and Mitchell rivers, and their respective drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
s, including the Timbarra River, the rivers empty into the Gippsland Lakes
The Gippsland Lakes are a network of coastal lakes, marshes and lagoons in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia covering an overall area of about between the rural towns of Lakes Entrance, Bairnsdale and Sale. The largest of the lakes are L ...
and flow into Bass Strait.
The isolated Timbarra River Gorge, north of Timbarra, has been classified as a site of local significance by the Geological Society of Australia
The Geological Society of Australia (GSA) was established as a non-profit organisation in 1952 to promote, advance and support earth sciences in Australia. The founding Chairperson was Edwin Sherbon Hills.
William Rowan Browne was a founder of th ...
.
Ecology and recreation
The Timbarra River is in good environmental
A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...
condition, and maintains a reliable year-round flow.
Although access to the river is difficult, it remains popular for fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
, especially for the introduced brown trout which spawn
Spawn or spawning may refer to:
* Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise
** '' Spawn: ...
naturally in the river without the need for artificial stocking
Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transpare ...
. Native fish found in the river include the vulnerable Australian grayling
The Australian grayling (''Prototroctes maraena'') is a primarily freshwater fish found in coastal rivers in south-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania. In past decades it has also been known as the cucumber mullet or cucumber herring, for ...
, the river blackfish
The river blackfish (''Gadopsis marmoratus'') is a freshwater fish endemic to the temperate waters of south-eastern Australia. It is found from southern Queensland through to central Victoria, including in the Murray- Darling river system. It ...
, tupong, and eel
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
s.
The Swifts Creek School has named one of its sports houses ''Timbara'', after the river.
See also
* List of rivers of Australia
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Authority control
East Gippsland catchment
Rivers of Gippsland (region)