Macalister River

The Macalister River, a perennial river of the West Gippsland catchment, is located in the Alpine and Gippsland regions of the Australian state of Victoria.

Macalister
Mouth of the Macalister River in Victoria
Etymology	Captain Lachlan Macalister[1][2]
Native name	Wirnwirndook'yeerung (Kurnai)[3][4]
Location
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
Region	Victorian Alps (IBRA), South East Coastal Plain (IBRA), West Gippsland
Local government area	Shire of Wellington
Settlements	Maffra
Physical characteristics
Source	Great Dividing Range
• location	below Mount Howitt
• coordinates	37°10′18″S 146°39′37″E
• elevation	1,550 m (5,090 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Thomson River
• location	south of Maffra
• coordinates	38°2′18″S 146°58′52″E
• elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Length	177 km (110 mi)
Discharge
• location	mouth
Basin features
River system	West Gippsland catchment
Tributaries
• left	Caledonia River, Wellington River, Stony Creek 2 (Macalister River, Victoria), Main Northern Channel
• right	Peters Creek (Victoria), Coleman Creek (Victoria), Grimme Creek, Barkly River, Target Creek, Serpentine Creek, Mount Useful Creek, Cheyne Creek, Stony Creek 1 (Macalister River, Victoria), Glenmaggie Creek, Main Serpentine Drain
National park	Alpine NP, Avon Wilderness Park
[5]

Location and features

The Macalister River rises below Mount Howitt, part of the Great Dividing Range in the southern portion of the Alpine National Park; and flows generally south by east in a highly meandering course. The river is joined by fifteen tributaries including the Caledonia, Wellington, and Barkly rivers, impounded by the Glenmaggie Dam that creates Lake Glenmaggie, before reaching its confluence with the Thomson River, south of Maffra. The river descends 1,530 metres (5,020 ft) over its 177-kilometre (110 mi) course.^[5] The fertile flats and valley floor of the Macalister River support agriculture around the town of Licola.

Etymology

In the Aboriginal Braiakaulung language the river was named Wirnwirndook'yeerun, meaning the "song of some bird",^[3] purportedly an emu wren.^[4]

The river was later named the Macalister River by explorer Angus McMillan, after his employer, Captain Lachlan Macalister.^[1][2]

See also

• Australia portal

• Rivers of Australia § Victoria