Wakefield River

Wakefield River

Wakefield River flowing through Auburn
Country Australia
Basin
Main source Clare Valley
River mouth Port Wakefield
Basin size 1,913 km2 (739 sq mi)
Physical characteristics
Length 105 km (65 mi) (approx.)

The Wakefield River, is part of an estuary located in South Australia. It is an ephemeral river that usually flows only when there are significant rains. It rises above Mintaro, flowing southward, passing the towns of Watervale and Auburn, where it is fed by several small creeks, and then curves to flow westerly past the town of Balaklava into the head of Gulf St Vincent at Port Wakefield.

The river's catchment covers 1,913 km2 (739 sq mi).[1] Three quarters of the catchment is used for agricultural purposes.[1]

History

The first European to discover it was John Hill (incorrectly named William Hill by some sources) in early April 1839, who named it after Edward Gibbon Wakefield, the promoter of the scheme of systematic colonization that led to the founding of the Colony of South Australia.[2][3] Hill was embarked upon the expedition which led to his discovery of the Clare Valley. The second European to visit was explorer Edward John Eyre, in late May 1839, who records that he encamped, 'upon a chain of large ponds of excellent water called by Mr. Hill the Wakefield.' [4]

Tributaries

The major tributaries of the Wakefield River are the Eyre, Skillogalee, Pine, Rices, Hermitage and Woolshed Flat Creeks.[5]

Skillogalee Creek

Skillogalee Creek, which rises in the Skilly Hills near Penwortham, is a significant tributary of the Wakefield River. The high rainfall in the Skilly Hills contributes to the Skillogalee Creek being one of the few permanently flowing watercourses in the region.[6]

Dennis Creek

Dennis Creek is another tributary of the Wakefield River. It is a very short ephemeral stream which is located in the Clare Valley town of Auburn and only flows during periods of rain. Its headwaters are located in the hills on the western side of the town and it runs along a small gully, passing under Main North Road, and into the Wakefield River. The creek was named after the father of C.J. Dennis, who ran a hotel in the town for a time.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Soils - Wakefield River". Australian Natural Resources Atlas. Department of Sustainabililty, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  2. ↑ http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/216940689
  3. ↑ "Wakefield, River". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  4. ↑ E.J. Eyre's Autobiographical Narrative, 1832-1839, edited by Jill Waterhouse (Caliban, London, 1984), page 196.
  5. ↑ Natural Heritage Trust (Australia); South Australia. Environment Protection Agency; South Australia. Department for Water Resources (2000), A river management plan for the Wakefield catchment, Environment Protection Agency, pp. 13, 17 & 61, ISBN 978-1-876562-19-9
  6. ↑ Water Allocation Plan for the Clare Valley Prescribed Water Resources Area, (Government of South Australia, 2009) ISBN 978-0-9806143-1-2.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wakefield River.

Coordinates: 34°11′24″S 138°08′38″E / 34.19000°S 138.14389°E / -34.19000; 138.14389


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.