Macleay River

Macleay River
Muddy River
Open/trained mature wave dominated, barrier estuary
Macleay River, viewed at Lower Creek
Name origin: In honour of Alexander Macleay
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
IBRA	New England Tablelands, NSW North Coast
Districts	Northern Tablelands, Mid North Coast
Local government area	Armidale Dumaresq, Bellingen, Kempsey
Tributaries
- left	Chandler River, Top Creek, Dyke River, Sunday Creek (New South Wales), Georges Creek, Five Day Creek, Lagoon Creek, Nulla Nulla Creek, Hickeys Creek, Munga Creek, Christmas Creek
- right	Blue Mountain Creek, Apsley River, Kunderang Brook, Carrolls Creek, Felters Creek, Stockyard Creek, Mackenzies Creek, Warbro Brook, Parrabel Creek, Cadiangullong Creek, Dungay Creek
City	Kempsey
Primary source	Great Dividing Range
- location	Blue Nobby Mountain, near Uralla
- elevation	455 m (1,493 ft)
Secondary source	Gara River
Source confluence	Salisbury Waters and Bakers Creek
Mouth	Tasman Sea, South Pacific Ocean
- location	near South West Rocks
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	298 km (185 mi)
Depth	2.6 m (9 ft)
Volume	70,235 m3 (2,480,326 cu ft)
Basin	11,287 km2 (4,358 sq mi)
Area	31.6 km2 (12 sq mi)
National Parks	Cunnawarra NP, Oxley Wild Rivers NP
Website: NSW Environment and Heritage webpage

Macleay River, an open and trained mature wave dominated, barrier estuary, is located in the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia.

Formed by the confluence of the Gara River, Salisbury Waters and Bakers Creek, the Macleay River rises below Blue Nobby Mountain, east of Uralla within the Great Dividing Range. The river flows in a meandering course generally east by south, joined by twenty-six tributaries including the Apsley, Chandler, and Dyke rivers and passing through a number of spectacular gorges and waterfalls in Cunnawarra National Park and Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, before reaching its mouth at the Tasman Sea of the South Pacific Ocean, near South West Rocks. The river descends 460 metres (1,510 ft) over its 298 kilometres (185 mi) course.

The river flows adjacent to the city of Kempsey. At Frederickton the river is traversed by the Pacific Highway via the Macleay River Bridge, the longest road bridge in Australia. The river is also traversed by the North Coast railway line.