Maitland River (Western Australia)

The Maitland River is a river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Maitland River
Map
Location
CountryAustralia
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • elevation214 metres (702 ft)[1]
Mouth 
 • location
Indian Ocean
 • elevation
sea level
Length92 kilometres (57 mi)
Basin size2,123 square kilometres (820 sq mi)[2]

The headwaters of the river rise in the Chichester Range near Zebra Hill and it flows in a north-westerly direction. The river crosses the North West Coastal Highway south of Karratha then discharges into the Indian Ocean. The river flows through a number of permanent and semi-permanent pools on the way to the coast including Miaree Pool, Toorare Pool and Charrowie Pool.

The river has four tributaries; Four Mile Creek, Cockatoo Creek, Munni Munni Creek and Corringer Creek.

Surveyor and explorer Francis Thomas Gregory came to the river during an expedition to the area in 1861. He named the river after another member of the expedition party, volunteer Maitland Brown.[3]

The traditional owners of the area that the river flows through are the Ngaluma people.[4]

Flood damage caused by Cyclone Monty in 2004 washed away over 200 m of North West Coastal Highway approaches to the Maitland River Bridge and damaged 300 m of shoulders and embankment. Repairs cost an estimated $1.5 million.[5]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Bonzle Digital Atlas – Map of Maitland River". 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  2. ^ "Modelled seabed response to possible climate change scenarios over the next 50 years in the Australian Northwest" (PDF). CSIRO. 1 March 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  3. ^ "History of river names – M". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  4. ^ "AusAnthrop Australian Aboriginal tribal database". 2009. Archived from the original on 6 July 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Project: Maitland River Bridge". Cordell Construction Projects. Cordell Information. Retrieved 14 October 2016.

20°46′37″S 116°30′38″E / 20.77694°S 116.51056°E / -20.77694; 116.51056