The Bemm 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 ...

, 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

Formed by the confluence of the Errinundra and Combienbar rivers, the Bemm River rises below near Boulder Flat, northwest of the town of . The river flows generally south then south by east, through the Bemm River Scenic Reserve and the

Cape Conran Coastal Park Cape Conran Coastal Park is a coastal reserve located near Marlo in East Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. The 11,700 hectare area was declared a coastal park under the ''National Parks Act 1975'' (Vic) in 1997. It is 420 km east of Melbour ...

, joined by the

Goolengook The Goolengook valley is a remote forested region of south-eastern Australia, located near Orbost in the far eastern corner of Victoria. It contains a number of forest types including a rare warm temperate/cool temperate "Overlap Rainforest". ...

and McKenzie rivers and six 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 mouth with Bass Strait via Sydenham Inlet 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 ...

, near the settlement of . The river descends over its course. 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 ...

comprises mainly public land, including

Errinundra National Park The Errinundra National Park is a national park located in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The national park is situated east of Melbourne via the Princes Highway and is centred on the Errinundra Plateau, a southwards extension of ...

and the

Lind National Park The Lind National Park is a national park in the East Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The national park is situated approximately east of Melbourne, adjacent to the Princes Highway between Orbost and . See also * Protected areas of ...

. These areas have a broad range of ecosystems including cool and warm

temperate rainforest Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American ...

, ancient wet

eucalypt Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia: ''Eucalyptus'', ''Corymbia'', ''Angophora'', '' Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...

forest, coastal heathland and banksia woodland. The Bemm River catchment area is managed by the

East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority The Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) were established in Victoria under the ''Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994''. Originally known as Catchment and Land Protection Boards, the CMAs were changed to their present name in 1997. Catchme ...

Etymology

The name of the river is derived from the Aboriginal words ''binn'' or ''birn'' of the

Gunai people The Gunaikurnai or Gunai/Kurnai ( ) people, also referred to as the Gunnai or Kurnai, are an Aboriginal Australian nation of south-east Australia. They are the Traditional Custodians of most of present-day Gippsland and much of the southern slop ...

, meaning "fish hawk".

References

External links

* * * East Gippsland catchment Rivers of Gippsland (region) {{VictoriaAU-river-stub