King River (Great Southern, Western Australia)

The King River is a river in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

Not to be confused with King River (Kimberley, Western Australia).

King River
Upper King River Bridge South Coast Highway near Albany, Western Australia
Location
CountryAustralia
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationEast of Redmond
 • elevation72 metres (236 ft)[1]
Mouth 
 • location
Oyster Harbour
 • elevation
sea level
Length27 kilometres (17 mi)
Basin size402 km2 (155 sq mi)[2]
Discharge 
 • average1.08 m3/s (34,000 ML/a; 38 cu ft/s)

Description

The river rises east of the town of Redmond and then flows for approximately 27 kilometres (17 mi) and along with the Kalgan River drains into Oyster Harbour and finally King George Sound north east of Albany.

The land along the river is estimated as being 83% cleared yet the water quality is generally healthy fresh water. The salinity level of the King River at discharge is 800 mg/L.[3]

History

The river was named after an early explorer of the Australian and Patagonian coasts, Phillip Parker King, by Thomas Braidwood Wilson while exploring the region in December 1829.[4] The estuarine zone of the river is from the mouth to 7 kilometres (4 mi) upstream to where Mill Brook joins the river.

The area around Lower King was a known haunt for sealers in 1831.[5] It was settled later in the 1830s but the townsite was not gazetted until 1959.[6]

The Lower King River Bridge was constructed in 1898 and washed away during a storm in 1900. Both the upper and lower bridges were damaged during storms in 1902. In 1944 and 1947 parts of the lower bridge collapsed and rebuilt.[5]

In January 2019 the Upper King Bridge was burned by a deliberately lit fire[7] causing A$300,000 in damage.[8]

Tributaries

The main tributary of the King River is Mill Brook which joins the King about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north-west of the Upper King Bridge.

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References
  1. "Map of King River, WA". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Digital Atlas Pty Limited. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  2. "South Coast River Care - King River". 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2007.
  3. "South Coast River Care - King River". 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2007.
  4. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of river names – K". Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  5. "History of Lower King". Weebly. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  6. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – L". Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  7. Saskia Adysti (13 January 2019). "King River Bridge fire "suspicious"". Albany Advertiser. Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  8. Saskia Adysti (14 January 2019). "Traffic delays to continue after fire". Albany Advertiser. Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 February 2019.

Further reading
  • Muirden, Peter: Pen, Luke and Marnie Leybourne (2003) Stream and catchment hydrology in South West Western Australia Perth, W.A. Dept. of Environment. Department of Environment river restoration, 1442-6919 ; report no. RR19 ISBN 1-920849-24-6
  • Pen, Luke J.(1999) Managing our rivers : a guide to the nature and management of the streams of south-west Western Australia (editor, June Hutchison) East Perth, W.A. : Water and Rivers Commission. ISBN 0-7309-7450-2

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