Barwon River (New South Wales)

For other uses, see Barwon River.

The Barwon River flows through New South Wales, between the MacIntyre and Gwydir rivers, forming a section of the border with Queensland. The name is derived from a local Aboriginal word meaning 'wide stream'. The Barwon is the main tributary of the Darling River.

History

In 1846 Roderick Mitchell, Commissioner of Crown Lands and the son of explorer, Sir Thomas Mitchell, proved that the Barwon and MacIntyre Rivers were the same river under different names.

Regular steamer services ran from Walgett to Bourke during 1880 to 1912. During the floods of 1879 and 1886 the steamers were able to travel into Collarenebri and even as far as Mungindi in 1890.

The Aborigines built a complex series fish traps on the Barwon River at Brewarrina. These traps are a large, well preserved example of this type of prehistoric site. The traps were built of rocks placed in the river bed to form a large number of V-shaped or diamond shaped channels. The Brewarrina fish traps have now been listed on the Register of the National Estate owing to the rarity of these works. They are of importance to modern Aborigines and are still in use. There are rocky rapids above and below Collarenebri as well as weirs and other structures for irrigation which impede normal navigation of the river.

The Brewarrina Lift Bridge which was built in 1888 over Barwon River on the Kamilaroi Highway has also been assessed as being of State significance.

The Boonanga bridge completed in 1928 to cross the Barwon River near Boomi, is an early example of Allan timber truss road bridges. This bridge has been recorded with the NSW State agency heritage register.

Tributaries of the Barwon include:

• Balonne River
• Condamine River
• Namoi River

Towns on the Barwon include:

• Mungindi, New South Wales
• Collarenebri, New South Wales
• Walgett, New South Wales
• Brewarrina, New South Wales

References