Steavenson River

The Steavenson River, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Steavensons River, a minor inland perennial river of the Goulburn Broken catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the lower South Eastern Highlands bioregion and Northern Country/North Central regions of the Australian state of Victoria. The headwaters of the Steavenson River rise on the north–western slopes of the Yarra Ranges, below Mount Edgar and descend to flow into the Acheron River near Buxton.

Steavenson Steavensons, Stevenson[1]
One of the five drops of the Steavenson Falls situated on the Steavenson River.
Location of the Steavenson River mouth in Victoria
Native name	Nur-ro-nur-ro[2]
Location
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
Region	South Eastern Highlands bioregion (IBRA), Northern Country/North Central
Local government area	Murrindindi
Towns	Marysville, Buxton
Physical characteristics
Source	Yarra Ranges, Great Dividing Range
• location	below Mount Edgar
• coordinates	37°32′40″S 145°47′10″E
• elevation	813 m (2,667 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Acheron River
• location	near Buxton
• coordinates	37°24′58″S 145°41′55″E
• elevation	264 m (866 ft)
Length	20 km (12 mi)
Basin features
River system	Goulburn Broken catchment, Murray-Darling basin
Tributaries
• left	Wilks Creek
• right	Taggerty River, Keppel Creek
National park	Yarra Ranges National Park
[3]

Location and features

The river rises below Mount Edgar on the north–western slopes of the Yarra Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range, within the Yarra Ranges National Park. The flows generally north by west, through rugged national park as the river descends, then north, joined by three tributaries including the Taggerty River, before reaching its confluence with the Acheron River near the settlement of Buxton. The river descends 549 metres (1,801 ft) over its 20-kilometre (12 mi) course.[3]

The river is crossed by the Maroondah Highway south of Buxton. An anabranch of the river, called Little Steavenson River splits from the main river and reaches its confluence with the Acheron River, also near the settlement of Buxton.[3]

Steavenson Falls, a 122-metre (400 ft) horsetail waterfall located in the upper reaches of the river, descends over five drops, the last having a clear drop of more than 21 metres (69 ft)[4] and is situated approximately 3.4 kilometres (2.1 mi) east of Marysville.[5]

Much of the catchment area of the river was destroyed by the Black Saturday bushfires that passed through the area on 7 February 2009, destroying almost all of the man made infrastructure and causing extensive damage to the forest in the area.[6][7]

Etymology

In an Australian Aboriginal language, the river is believed to be named Nur-ro-nur-ro, with no defined meaning for the name.[2]

It is believed that the lower reaches of the Steavenson River, from the confluence of the Taggerty River with the Steavenson River, at the locale of Vic Oak, until the river mouth near Buxton, may have been initially named as the Taggerty River, until the Steavenson was officially named.[8]

See also

• List of rivers of Victoria

References

1. "Steavenson River: 26321". Vicnames. 2 May 1966. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
2. "Steavenson River: 2467: Historical Information". 12 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
3. "Map of Steavenson River, VIC". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
4. "Steavenson Falls – Marysville". Yarra Valley Booking Service.
5. "Map of Steavenson Falls, VIC". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
6. http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/about-depi/media-releases/dangerous-trees-to-be-removed-from-steavenson-falls
7. http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/about-depi/media-releases/$3-million-redevelopment-of-steavenson-falls-commences
8. "Taggerty River: Historical information: 2503". Vicnames. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2014.