Thomson River, Queensland

Thomson
River
Longreach, 1938
Name origin: Sir Edward Deas Thomson KCMG, CMG
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
Regions	Central West Queensland, Western Queensland
Part of	Lake Eyre Basin
Tributaries
- right	Landsborough Creek, Darr River
City	Longreach
Source	Alma Range, Great Dividing Range
- location	north of Muttaburra
- elevation	215 m (705 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Barcoo River to form Cooper Creek
- elevation	130 m (427 ft)
- coordinates	25°10′2″S 142°53′24″E / 25.16722°S 142.89000°E / -25.16722; 142.89000Coordinates: 25°10′2″S 142°53′24″E / 25.16722°S 142.89000°E / -25.16722; 142.89000
Length	3,500 km (2,175 mi)
Map of the Lake Eyre Basin showing Thomson River

The Thomson River is a perennial river that forms part of the Lake Eyre Basin, situated in the central west and western regions of Queensland, Australia. Much of the course of the river comprises a series of narrow channels synonymous with the Channel Country and the Gailee subregion.

The river was named in 1847 by the explorer, Edmund Kennedy, in honour of The Hon. Sir Edward Deas Thomson KCMG, CMG, the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales at the time of discovery.

Draining the Alma Range, part of the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, the northernmost headwaters of the river begin as Torrens Creek, inland from Charters Towers. The watercourse becomes the Thomson just north of the town of Muttaburra, where the channels of Landsborough Creek, Towerhill Creek and Cornish Creek meet. Aramac Creek joins the river from the east, south of Muttaburra and Maneroo Creek flows from the west, joining the Thomson south of Longreach. Just to the west of Longreach the river is crossed by the Landsborough Highway.