Darling River
| Darling River | |
 Aerial view of the Darling River near Menindee
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| Country | Australia |
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| State | New South Wales |
| Part of | Murray River, Murray-Darling basin |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Barwon River, Little Bogan River |
| - right | Culgoa River, Warrego River, Paroo River |
| Cities | Bourke, Wilcannia, Menindee, Wentworth |
| Source | confluence of Barwon and Culgoa Rivers |
| - location | near Brewarrina, NSW |
| - elevation | 119 m (390 ft) |
| - coordinates | 29°57′31″S 146°18′28″E / 29.95861°S 146.30778°E |
| Mouth | confluence with Murray River |
| - location | Wentworth, NSW |
| - elevation | 35 m (115 ft) |
| - coordinates | 34°6′47″S 141°54′43″E / 34.11306°S 141.91194°ECoordinates: 34°6′47″S 141°54′43″E / 34.11306°S 141.91194°E |
| Length | 1,472 km (915 mi) |
| Basin | 609,283 km2 (235,245 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 100 m3/s (3,530 cu ft/s) approx. |
 The Darling is a major tributary of the Murray-Darling system
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The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring 1,472 kilometres (915 mi) from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is 2,844 km (1,767 mi) long, making it the longest river system in Australia.
The Darling River is the outback's most famous waterway. The Darling has been in poor health, suffering from overuse of its waters, pollution from pesticide runoff and prolonged drought. In some years it has barely flowed at all. The river has a high salt content and declining water quality. Increased rainfall in its catchment in 2010 has improved flow, but the health of the river will depend on long-term management.
The Division of Darling, Division of Riverina-Darling, Electoral district of Darling and Electoral district of Lachlan and Lower Darling were named after the river.
The Queensland headwaters of the Darling (the area now known as the Darling Downs) were gradually colonised from 1815 onward. In 1828 the explorer Charles Sturt and Hamilton Hume were sent by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Ralph Darling, to investigate the course of the Macquarie River. He discovered the Bogan River and then, early in 1829, the upper Darling, which he named after the Governor. In 1835, Major Thomas Mitchell travelled a 483-kilometre (300 mi) portion of the Darling River. Although his party never reached the junction with the Murray River he correctly assumed the rivers joined.
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Wikipedia