The Rudall River ( Wanman: ''Karlamilyi'') is an

ephemeral Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...

river in the

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a g ...

region of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. The entire length of the river is located within the boundaries of the Karlamilyi National Park, which straddles the Little Sandy Desert (LSD) and the Great Sandy Desert (GSD). The headwaters of the river lie in the LSD below the Watrara Range near Island Hill, and it flows eastward into the GSD until it discharges into Lake Dora. The river is unique in the region as it is a major watercourse with reliable water sources and many permanent pools. The river has a total of nine

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 ...

, including Watrara Creek, Rooney Creek, Poonemerlarra Creek and Dunn Creek. The river was named by the explorer Frank Hann in 1896 after the surveyor William Frederick Rudall whom he met in the area while Hann was prospecting and Rudall was searching for men missing from the Calvert Expedition. The

traditional owners Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have right ...

of the land are the Warnman peoples, who call the river ''Karlamilyi''.

References

Rivers of the Pilbara region {{WesternAustralia-river-stub