Barron River (Queensland)

Barron (Bibhoora)
River
The Barron Falls near Kuranda
Name origin: In honour of Thomas Barron, a Brisbane chief clerk of police.
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
Region	Far North Queensland
Tributaries
- left	Granite Creek (Queensland), Flaggy Creek
- right	Peterson Creek (Queensland), Timaroo Creek, Clohessy River
Landmark	Barron Gorge
Source	Atherton Tablelands
- location	below Mount Hypipamee
- elevation	1,200 m (3,937 ft)
- coordinates	17°25′48″S 145°30′48″E / 17.43000°S 145.51333°E / -17.43000; 145.51333
Mouth	Coral Sea
- location	Machans Beach/Aeroglen
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
- coordinates	16°51′41″S 145°46′15″E / 16.86139°S 145.77083°E / -16.86139; 145.77083Coordinates: 16°51′41″S 145°46′15″E / 16.86139°S 145.77083°E / -16.86139; 145.77083
Length	165 km (103 mi)
Basin	2,138 km2 (825 sq mi)
National parks	Mount Hypipamee National Park; Barron Gorge National Park
Reservoirs	Lake Tinaroo
Waterfalls	Barron Falls; Dinner Falls
Location of Barron River river mouth in Queensland

The Barron River (Indigenous: Bibhoora) is located on the Atherton Tablelands inland from Cairns in northern Queensland, Australia. With its headwaters below Mount Hypipamee, the 165-kilometre (103 mi)-long river with a catchment area of approximately 2,138 square kilometres (825 sq mi) forms through run off from the Mount Hypipamee National Park, flows through Lake Tinaroo, and eventually empties into the Coral Sea near Smithfield.

Over time, some of the Mitchell River's former headwaters were diverted by natural forces into the Barron. These include the Clohesy River and other tributaries that used to flow northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria. With the extra water now flowing over the 260-metre (850 ft)-high Barron Falls, the steep, narrow Barron Gorge was formed. Much of the water that used to flow over the falls has now been diverted in upstream dams and used to generate electricity at the Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station.

The Barron's headwaters start in the Mount Hypipamee National Park near Mount Hypipamee at an elevation of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft). The river then flows north 65 kilometres (40 mi) across the Atherton Tablelands before finally turning east after Mareeba towards Kuranda. After passing under the Kuranda Range Highway's bridge and through Kuranda proper, it descends down the 260-metre (850 ft)-high Barron Falls and reaches the Cairns floodplains near Smithfield. The Dinner Falls are located along the upper Barron River.