Barwon (Worragong, Nellemengobeet, Barrwang) | |
Barwon River (East Branch), Barwon River (West Branch) | |
River | |
The Barwon River, pictured in 1907
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Name origin: Aboriginal: barwon, meaning "magpie", or "great wide". | |
Country | Australia |
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State | Victoria |
Regions | South East Coastal Plain (IBRA), The Otways, Bellarine Peninsula |
Local government area | Surf Coast Shire |
Part of | Corangamite catchment |
Tributaries | |
- left | Boundary Creek (Barwon), Atkin Creek, Birregurra Creek, Warrambine Creek, Leigh River, Sandy Creek (Barwon), Moorabool River |
- right | Matthews Creek, Deans Marsh Creek, Chicken Noodle Soup River, Brickmakers Creek, Retreat Creek, Scrubby Creek |
Townships | Winchelsea, Inverleigh, Greater Geelong, Barwon Heads |
Source | Otway Ranges |
- location | south of Birregurra |
- elevation | 295 m (968 ft) |
Source confluence | East and West Branches of the Barwon River |
- elevation | 120 m (394 ft) |
- coordinates | 38°25′20″S 143°44′26″E / 38.42222°S 143.74056°E |
Mouth | Bass Strait |
- location | Barwon Heads |
- elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
- coordinates | 38°17′12″S 144°29′59″E / 38.28667°S 144.49972°ECoordinates: 38°17′12″S 144°29′59″E / 38.28667°S 144.49972°E |
Length | 160 km (99 mi) |
Basin | 8,590 km2 (3,317 sq mi) |
Lake | Lake Connewarre |
Waterfall | Buckley Falls |
RAMSAR site and Important Bird Areas |
Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site; Bellarine Wetlands IBA |
Reservoir | West Barwon Reservoir |
The Barwon River is a perennial river of the Corangamite catchment, located in The Otways and the Bellarine Peninsula regions of the Australian state of Victoria.
Fed by the confluence of the East and West Branches of the river, the Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges and flows generally north by east and then east, joined by thirteen tributaries including the Leigh and Moorabool rivers and flowing through Lake Connewarre, before reaching its mouth and emptying into Bass Strait at Barwon Heads. The river flows adjacent to the settlement of Winchelsea and the city of Greater Geelong. The estuarine section of the river forms part of the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site as a wetland of international importance, as well as of the Bellarine Wetlands Important Bird Area. From its highest point including its source confluence, the river descends 295 metres (968 ft) over its 160-kilometre (99 mi) course.
The river is crossed by a number of bridges in Geelong. Of particular note is the unusual one lane truss bridge in Newtown, Geelong. The 'Breakwater' in East Geelong was constructed by Foster Fyans to supply drinking water.