The Broken River, a minor inland
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
Goulburn
Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters pate ...
Broken catchment, part of the
Murray–Darling basin
The Murray–Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, encompassing the drainage basin of the tributaries of the Murray River, Australia's longest river, and the Darling River, a right tributary of ...
, is located in the
alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
and Northern Country/North Central regions 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 ...
. The headwaters of the Broken River rise in the western slopes 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 ...
, near Bald Hill and descend to flow into the
Goulburn River
The Goulburn River, a major inland perennial river of the Goulburn Broken catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the alpine, Northern Country/North Central, and Southern Riverina regions of the Australian state of Victor ...
near
Shepparton. The river is impounded by the Nillahcootie Dam to create
Lake Nillahcootie and Benalla Dam to create
Lake Benalla
Lake Benalla (), an artificial lake located in Benalla in the High Country region of Victoria, Australia, was created in the 1970s.
In 2010, more than one hundred residents surrounding the lake were evacuated from their homes at Benalla. The ri ...
.
Location and features
The river rises below Bald Hill on the western slopes of the Victorian Alps, within the
Mount Buffalo National Park
The Mount Buffalo National Park is a national park in the alpine region of Victoria, Australia. The national park is located approximately northeast of Melbourne in the Australian Alps. Within the national park is Mount Buffalo, a moderate ...
in the
Shire of Mansfield. The river flow generally west, then north, then west passing through or adjacent to the regional cities of and , joined by ten minor tributaries, before reaching its
confluence with the Goulburn River within Shepparton. The river descends over its
course.
[
When at maximum capacity, the Broken River is the fastest flowing river in Australia.
The town of , located adjacent to the river, was known as Broken River into the 1850s. It was the location of the ]Battle of Broken River
The Battle of Broken River, also known as the Faithfull Massacre, sometimes spelt Faithful Massacre, is a battle that took place in 1838 when 20 Aboriginal Australians attacked 18 European settlers, killing eight of them.
Reprisals against the ...
.
Etymology
In the local Indigenous language, Ngurai-illam-wurrung, the river at its junction with the Goulburn River is named Marangan, meaning "deep pond, lagoon".[
The origin of the river's current name is originally thought to be derived from the fact that in dry seasons the river bed is broken into a series of water holes.][
]
See also
* List of rivers of Victoria
References
Rivers of Victoria (Australia)
Goulburn Broken catchment
Rivers of Hume (region)
Tributaries of the Goulburn River
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