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Bell River (New South Wales)

Coordinates: 32°33′S 148°57′E / 32.550°S 148.950°E / -32.550; 148.950
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bell River
Nandillion Ponds[1]
Map
Etymologyin honour of Brevet Major Bell[2]
Location
CountryAustralia
StateNew South Wales
IBRASouth Eastern Highlands, NSW South Western Slopes
DistrictCentral West
MunicipalitiesCabonne, Wellington
Physical characteristics
SourcePloughman's Creek
 • locationMarch, near Orange
 • elevation726 m (2,382 ft)
2nd sourceBroken Shaft Creek
MouthMacquarie River
 • location
Wellington
 • elevation
285 m (935 ft)
Length146 km (91 mi)
Basin features
River systemMurray–Darling Basin
Tributaries 
 • leftMolong Creek, Curra Creek, Blathery Creek
 • rightNubrigan Creek, Weandre Creek
[3]

Bell River, a watercourse that is part of the Macquarie catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the central west region of New South Wales, Australia.

Course

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The river rises in the hills north-west of Orange and flows generally north past the town of Molong, joining the Macquarie River at Wellington.[1] The course of the river is generally aligned with the Mitchell Highway, with the river dropping 441 metres (1,447 ft) over its 146 kilometres (91 mi) course.[3]

Platypus have often been sighted in the lower reaches of the Bell River.[4]

History

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Aboriginal history

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The original inhabitants of the land surrounding the Bell River were Australian Aborigines of the Wiradjuri clan.[2]

European history

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The area surrounding the Bell River was first explored by John Oxley who named the river in honour of Brevet Major Bell.[2]

Alluvial gold was discovered in and along the river in 1851, inspiring a minor gold rush, most notably near the confluence of the Nubrigyn Creek with the Bell River.[5]

Minor flooding of the Bell River occurs sporadically, before its junction with the Macquarie River, including in 1920,[6] 1926,[7] and 1990 at Newrea, where the river reached 6.77 metres (22.2 ft).[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bell River". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 January 2013. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b c "Travel Factsheet: Wellington". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Map of Bell River, NSW". Bonzle.com. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  4. ^ "Platypus spotting, Wellington". Macquarie River Trails. 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Earp, G. Butler (1853). The Gold Colonies of Australia, Their History & Progress, With Ample Details of the Gold Mines, How To Get To Them, and Every Advice to Emigrants. London: Routledge & Co. pp. 138–145. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  6. ^ "Western District: The Macquarie and Castlereagh". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 July 1920. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  7. ^ "The Macquarie: over the banks". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 March 1926. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  8. ^ "Macquarie Region: Record floods". Floodsafe. NSW State Emergency Service. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
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32°33′S 148°57′E / 32.550°S 148.950°E / -32.550; 148.950