Yarra River

Yarra (Berrern Birr-arrung Wongete Yarro-yarro)
River
The Yarra River through Pound Bend near Warrandyte.
Name origin: Bunwurrung (Native Australian): Yarro-yarro, "ever-flowing"
Nickname: "The Yarra"
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
Regions	South Eastern Highlands (IBRA), Central Victoria
LGA	Yarra Ranges Shire
Part of	Port Phillip and Western Port catchment
Tributaries
- left	Maribyrnong River, Moonee Ponds Creek, Merri Creek, Darebin Creek, Plenty River, Diamond Creek, Steeles Creek, Watts River, Badger Creek, Don River, Cement Creek
- right	Gardiners Creek, Glass Creek, Koonung Creek, Mullum Mullum Creek, Jumping Creek, Olinda Creek, Woori Yallock Creek, Hoddles Creek, Little Yarra River, Starvation Creek
City	Melbourne
Source	Yarra Ranges, Great Dividing Range
- location	within Yarra Ranges National Park
- elevation	792 m (2,598 ft)
- coordinates	37°44′57″S 146°8′26″E / 37.74917°S 146.14056°E / -37.74917; 146.14056
Mouth	Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip
- location	near the suburb of Port Melbourne
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
- coordinates	37°51′7″S 144°54′30″E / 37.85194°S 144.90833°E / -37.85194; 144.90833Coordinates: 37°51′7″S 144°54′30″E / 37.85194°S 144.90833°E / -37.85194; 144.90833
Length	242 km (150 mi)
Basin	4,078 km2 (1,574.5 sq mi) 50%
Discharge	mouth
- average	37 m3/s (1,306.6 cu ft/s)
National park	Yarra Ranges NP, Royal Botanic Gardens
Reservoir	Upper Yarra Reservoir
Nature reserve / State park	Warrandyte SP, Westerfolds P, Yarra Bend P, Birrarung Marr
Location of the mouth of the Yarra River in Victoria

The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, (Aboriginal: Berrern, Birr-arrung, Bay-ray-rung, Birarang,Birrarung, and Wongete) is a perennial river in east-central Victoria, Australia.

The lower stretches of the river are where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches. From its source in the Yarra Ranges, it flows 242 kilometres (150 mi) west through the Yarra Valley which opens out into plains as it winds its way through Greater Melbourne before emptying into Hobsons Bay in northernmost Port Phillip.

The river was a major food source and meeting place for indigenous Australians from prehistoric times. Shortly after the arrival of European settlers land clearing forced the remaining Wurundjeri to neighbouring territories and away from the river. Originally called Birrarung by the Wurundjeri, the current name was mistranslated from another Wurundjeri term in the Boonwurrung language; Yarro-yarro, meaning "ever-flowing".

The river was utilised primarily for agriculture by early European settlers. The landscape of the river has changed dramatically since 1835. The course has been progressively disrupted and the river widened in places. The first of many Crossings of the Yarra River to facilitate transport was built in Princes Bridge. Beginning with the Victorian gold rush it was extensively mined, creating the Pound Bend Tunnel in Warrandyte, and the Big and Little Peninsula Tunnels above Warburton. Widening and dams, like the Upper Yarra Reservoir have helped protect Melbourne from major flooding. The catchment's upper reaches are also affected by logging. Industrialisation ultimately led to the destruction of the marshlands at the confluence of the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers in the area around Coode Island in West Melbourne.