Macdonald River (Bendemeer)

Macdonald River
Muluerindie
Perennial river
Macdonald River at Bendemeer
Name origin: Reputedly named after a Mr H. Macdonald
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
Region	IBRA: New England Tablelands
District	Northern Tablelands
Municipality	Tamworth
Part of	Murray–Darling basin
Source	Moonbi Range and Great Dividing Range
- location	east of Niangala
- elevation	1,220 m (4,003 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Namoi River
- location	Bald Rock Mountain
- elevation	705 m (2,313 ft)
Length	169 km (105 mi)

Macdonald River, a perennial river that is part of the Namoi catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands district of New South Wales, Australia.

The river rises east of Niangala on the western slopes of the Moonbi Range and Great Dividing Range and flows generally north west after its confluence with its major tributary, the Cobrabald River, and flows through Warrabah National Park before reaching its mouth, with the Namoi River; dropping 515 metres (1,690 ft) over its course of 169 kilometres (105 mi).

From source to mouth, the river passes through or near the villages of Woolbrook and Bendemeer.

Trout fishing is possible in the waters of the Macdonald River, its creeks and tributaries upstream of the New England Highway road bridge at Bendemeer. The Namoi River Snapping Turtle or Bell's turtle (Elseya belli) is a species of turtle found only in the upper reaches of the Namoi River, Gwydir River and Macdonald Rivers.

The T A Perry Bridge, that carries the New England Highway and crosses the Macdonald River, was completed in 1985, enabling a bypass of the village of Bendemeer.

In November 2008, torrential rain caused severe flooding in the Macdonald River and led to the area being declared a natural disaster area.