Everything about The Hawkesbury River totally explained
The
Hawkesbury River is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of
New South Wales,
Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of
Sydney.
Geography
The headwaters of the Hawkesbury, the Avon River, the Cataract River, and the Cordeaux River, rise only a few miles from the sea, about 80 kilometers south of Sydney. These streams start on the inland-facing slopes of the plateau which forms the escarpment behind
Wollongong. Flowing north-west, away from the sea, these streams combine to form the
Nepean River. Flowing north past the towns of
Camden and
Penrith, the Nepean forms the western boundary of the Sydney region.
Near Penrith, the
Warragamba River emerges from its canyon through the
Blue Mountains and joins the Nepean. The Warragamba, formed by the joining of the
Wollondilly River, the
Nattai River, the
Kowmung River and
Cox's River drains a broad region of New South Wales on the eastern side of the
Great Dividing Range.
North of Penrith, the Nepean is joined by the
Grose River and its name changes to Hawkesbury. It passes the towns of
Richmond and
Windsor, and winds eastwards through majestic scenery to reach the ocean at
Broken Bay. The
Colo River and the
Macdonald River are major tributaries of the Hawkesbury.
The upper reaches of various tributaries of the Hawkesbury are the main water supply areas for Sydney, forming the Nepean, Cordeaux, Avon and Cataract Dams.
A section of the Nepean at Penrith is used for a
rowing and
kayak sprint course.
There are various crossings of the river along its length starting with the
Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge at
Brooklyn, Peats Ferry Bridge and The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway Bridge between Kangaroo Point and Mooney Mooney, the vehicular ferry at
Wisemans Ferry the Putty Road Bridge at
Windsor, the bridge just north of
Richmond which carries Bells Line of Road, the rail bridge at
Penrith and Victoria Bridge at Penrith for road traffic.
Aboriginal History
The Aboriginal name for the river was recorded as
Deerubbun. The two main aboringal tribes inhabiting the area were the Dhurag or
Darug people to the north and west and the
Kuringgai people to the east.
European History
In 1788 two expeditions explored the Hawkesbury to the northwest of Sydney and the
Nepean River to the southwest. It took about three years to realise they'd discovered the same river and given it two different names. It is therefore often referred to as the
Hawkesbury-Nepean River with the name change occurring north of
Penrith.
The Hawkesbury River was used as one of the major transportation routes for transporting food from western Sydney, to the city during the 1800s. Boats and Barges would then wait in the protection of
Broken Bay and
Pittwater, until favourable weather before making the 14km ocean journey to Sydney.
The Hawkesbury River was named by
Governor Phillip in June 1789, after
Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool, who at that time was titled Baron Hawkesbury. An obelisk was unveiled in 1939 at
Brooklyn to commemorate the naming.
In 1794, 22 families were granted land at Bardenarang, now known as Pitt Town Bottoms, near Windsor.. In that same year, confrontations between Aboriginal people and settlers broke out.
Commercial activity
According to the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority, the Hawkesbury River estuary supports the second largest commercial coastal fishery of estuary prawns, oysters (prior to the outbreak of QX disease ) and fish in NSW with a wholesale value of $6.3 million annually.
Cultural references
The Oyster Farmer is a movie about the Hawkesbury River and the oyster farmers who work on it.
Gallery
Image:A seaplane on the Hawkesbury River.jpg|A seaplane on the Hawkesbury River
Image:Australia_nsw_brooklyn_obelisk.jpg|The Hawkesbury River was named by Governor Phillip in 1789
Further Information
Get more info on 'Hawkesbury River'.
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