Flinders River

Flinders
River
Flooding of the Flinders River at Hughenden, January 1917
Name origin: In honour of Matthew Flinders
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
Region	North West Queensland, Gulf Country
Tributaries
- left	Cloncurry River, Corella River, Bynoe River
- right	Saxby River
Settlements	McKinlay, Hughenden, Richmond, Julia Creek, Cloncurry, Burke and Wills Junction
Source	Burra Range, Great Dividing Range
- location	Reedy Springs
- elevation	816 m (2,677 ft)
Mouth	Gulf of Carpentaria
- location	west of Karumba
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
- coordinates	17°35′59″S 140°35′44″E / 17.59972°S 140.59556°E / -17.59972; 140.59556Coordinates: 17°35′59″S 140°35′44″E / 17.59972°S 140.59556°E / -17.59972; 140.59556
Length	1,004 km (624 mi)
Basin	109,000 km2 (42,085 sq mi)
Discharge
- average	122 m3/s (4,308 cu ft/s)
Location of Flinders River mouth in Queensland

The Flinders River is the longest river in Queensland, Australia at approximately 1,004 kilometres (624 mi). It was named in honour of the explorer Matthew Flinders. The catchment is sparsely populated and mostly undeveloped. The Flinders rises on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in North West Queensland and flows generally northwest across a large, flat claypain through the Gulf Country before entering the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The river rises in the Burra Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, 110 kilometres (68 mi) northeast of Hughenden and flows in a westerly direction past Hughenden, Richmond and Julia Creek then northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria 25 km (16 mi) west of Karumba. The south of the catchment is bordered by the Selwyn Range. At 1,004 kilometres (624 mi) in length it is the eighth longest river in Australia. The catchment covers 109,000 square kilometres (42,000 sq mi). The primary land use in the catchment is grazing and other agriculture, the catchment covers 1.5% of the continent.

A total of 36 tributaries flow into the Flinders, the principal tributaries are the Cloncurry, Saxby and the Corella rivers. Another major tributary of the Flinders River is Porcupine Creek. The creek has carved out a dramatic gorge which is located in the Porcupine Gorge National Park. There are two dams on the river - the Flinders River Dam and Corella Dam. Other smaller tributaries include; Range Creek, Morepork Creek, Oxley Creek, Canterbury Creek, Dutton River, Back Valley Creek, L-Tree Creek, Gorman Creek, Hazlewood Creek, Nonda Creek, Eurimpy Creek, Yambore Creek, Bynoe River and Armstrong Creek. The river flows through one permanent waterhole; Flagstone waterhole.