Nicholson River (Queensland)

The headwaters of the river rise at the western end of China Wall on the Barkly Tableland,{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/flood/brochures/nicholson/nicholson.shtml|title=Flood warning system for the Nicholson River|year=2015|access-date=1 June 2015|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology}} in the Northern Territory and head in a south easterly direction. The river then heads due east and crosses the border into the northwest region of Queensland near Nudjabarra across mostly uninhabited plains. It continues east across the Shadforth Plain and past the Aboriginal community of Doomadgee. The river then veers north near the Tiranna Roadhouse across Hann Crossing and past Escott, just west of Burketown where it is joined by its main tributary the Gregory River. The river continues north and later discharges into Pasco Inlet and the Gulf of Carpentaria. The ephemeral Nicholson has a length of approximately {{convert|390|km|mi|0}}.{{cite web|url=https://research.jcu.edu.au/tropwater/resources/04%2010%20Gregory%20River%20Report.pdf|title=Ecological Assessment of the Freshwater Wetlands in the Nicholson-Gregory Catchment, North-Western Queensland.|date=1 July 2005|access-date=2 June 2015|publisher=James Cook University}}

The drainage basin of the river occupies an area of {{convert|53200|km2|sqmi|0}}{{cite web|url=http://www.southerngulf.com.au/page/The%20Land#nicholson|title=The Land - Overview|access-date=1 June 2015|publisher=Southern Gulf Catchments|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411090436/http://www.southerngulf.com.au/page/The%20Land#nicholson|archive-date=11 April 2015|df=dmy-all}} of which an area of {{convert|15733|km2|sqmi|0}} is in the Northern Territory and the rest in Queensland. The watershed is wedged between the watersheds for the Robinson River and Settlement Creek watersheds to the north, the Barkly River catchment to the south{{cite web|url=http://www.lrm.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/20809/map01.pdf|title=Drainage Divisions|year=2005|access-date=1 June 2015|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401173613/http://lrm.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/20809/map01.pdf|archive-date=1 April 2015|df=dmy-all}} and the Leichhardt River catchment to the east.

The river had a mean annual discharge of {{convert|2237|GL|impgal USgal|sigfig=3}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.southerngulf.com.au/index.php?element=Southern+Gulf+of+Carpentaria+Fish+Biodiversity.pdf |title=Rapid assessment of fish biodiversity in southern Gulf of Carpentaria catchments|access-date=1 June 2015|publisher=National Heritage Trust|author1=Alf Hogan |author2=Terry Vallance |date=1 February 2005}}

The traditional owners of the area are the Yukulta / Ganggalidda{{cite web|url=http://www.ausanthrop.net/resources/ausanthrop_db/detail.php?id_search=171|title=Jokula|work=AusAnthrop Australian Aboriginal tribal database|access-date=1 June 2015|publisher=Ausanthrop}} Waanyi, Maga-Kutana, Wakabunga, Nguburinji and Mingin peoples who have inhabited the region for thousands of years.{{cite web | url=https://dropbears.com/australia/morning-glory/dymock.htm | title=Nicholson River Historical Material }}

The river is called Ganalanga is the Waanyi language (also known as Wanyi, Wanyee, Wanee, Waangyee, Wonyee, Garawa, and Wanji), an Australian Aboriginal language of the Gulf Country.{{Cite web |title=Ganalanga-Mindibirrina IPA and Waanyi Garawa and Garawa Rangers {{!}} NIAA |url=https://www.niaa.gov.au/node/2308 |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=www.niaa.gov.au}} The language region includes the western parts of Lawn Hill Creek and Nicholson River, from about the boundary between the Northern Territory and Queensland, westwards towards Alexandria Station, Doomadgee, and Nicholson River. It includes the local government area of the Aboriginal Shire of Doomadgee.{{Cite SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/136|title=Waanyi|author=|date=|website=Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map|access-date=5 February 2020}}

The explorer, Ludwig Leichhardt, passed through the area during his 1845 overland expedition from Moreton Bay in Queensland to Port Essington in the Northern Territory. Leichhardt named the river for Dr William Alleyne Nicholson, of Bristol in England. In his diary Leichhardt wrote that Nicholson's "generous friendship had not only enabled me to devote my time to the study of the natural sciences, but to come out to Australia...".{{cite web|url=http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=16224|title=Place Names Register Extract - Nicholson River|access-date=1 June 2015|work=NT Place Names Register|publisher=Northern Territory Government}}

The river is often inundated by heavy rainfall following cyclones that cross the catchment from either the Coral Sea or from the Gulf of Carpentaria. Record flood events occurred in 1971 through the catchment with lesser floods in 2000, 2004 and 2009 all of which led to road closures in the area.

On 7-9 March 2023 up to 500mm of rain fell in 48 hours across the catchment, leading to record flooding. At Doomadgee the river rose to 8 metres, eclipsing the 1971 record.[http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/flood/fld_history/index.shtml Flood history]bom.gov.au {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309201745/http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/flood/fld_history/index.shtml |date=9 March 2023 }}

{{stack|{{Portal|Water|Environment|Queensland}}}}

• {{Section link|List of rivers of Australia|Northern Territory}}
• {{Section link|List of rivers of Australia|Queensland}}

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{{Rivers of the Northern Territory |state=collapsed}}

{{Rivers of Queensland|state=collapsed}}

Category:Rivers of the Northern Territory

Category:Rivers of Queensland

Category:Gulf of Carpentaria

Category:North West Queensland