Geography of the Yarra River

The Yarra River is a river in East-Central Victoria, Australia that flows through the city of Melbourne. This article contains explanations and lists of the river's tributaries and other geographic features. The river flows atop layers of silt that built up within an ancient river valley around 10,000-15,000 years ago.

Map of Yarra River and its tributaries

The river's major tributaries are the Plenty River, Merri Creek, Darebin Creek, Diamond Creek, Gardiners Creek, Mullum Mullum Creek and the Moonee Ponds Creek. It hosts a wide range of geographic features including; bends, rapids, lakes, islands, floodplains, billabongs, wetlands, etc. Most features have been named after translated Woiwurrung phrases or have European, particularly British, origins.

The Yarra River has two other names "the upside down river" and "Birrarung". The Yarra was for say nicknamed the upside down river because of the way some of it looked. Birrarung was the first name that the Indigenous Australians gave it.

Tributaries

The Little Yarra River at Yarra Junction, 2009

The Yarra River has about 50 named tributaries; 6 rivers, 42 creeks and 2 gullies. At its most easterly point, it is fed by many small unnamed creeks and streams that begin in the Yarra Ranges within the Yarra Ranges National Park, which are sometimes fed by snowfalls. Below is a list of its tributaries (from downstream to upstream):

Rivers of the Yarra River basin
Catchment river							Elevation at confluence	River mouth	Coordinates	River length
	Tributary
		Tributary
			Tributary
				Tributary
					Tributary
						Tributary
Yarra River							0 m (0 ft)	Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip	37°51′7″S 144°54′30″E	242 km (150 mi)
	Stony Creek						0 m (0 ft)	Yarra		circa 5 km (3 mi)
	Maribyrnong River						1 m (3 ft 3 in)	Yarra	37°45′19″S 144°50′57″E	39 km (24 mi)
		Steele Creek					5 m (16 ft)	Maribyrnong		8 km (5 mi)
		Taylors Creek					20 m (66 ft)	Maribyrnong		13 km (8 mi)
		Jackson Creek					42 m (138 ft)	Maribyrnong		71 km (44 mi)
			Longview Creek				270 m (890 ft)	Jackson		8 km (5 mi)
			Riddells Creek				296 m (971 ft)	Jackson		15 km (9 mi)
		Deep Creek					42 m (138 ft)	Maribyrnong		128 km (80 mi)
			Konagaderra Creek				164 m (538 ft)	Deep	37°29′36″S 144°50′27″E	17 km (11 mi)
			Boyd Creek				243 m (797 ft)	Deep		12 km (7 mi)
				Lintons Creek			277 m (909 ft)	Boyd		11 km (7 mi)
				No 3 Creek			313 m (1,027 ft)	Boyd		13 km (8 mi)
			Emu Creek				270 m (890 ft)	Deep		8 km (5 mi)
				Bolinda (Emu) Creek			282 m (925 ft)	Emu		9 km (6 mi)
					Bolinda Creek		340 m (1,120 ft)	Bolinda (Emu)		9 km (6 mi)
						Sandy Creek	380 m (1,250 ft)	Bolinda		9 km (6 mi)
	Moonee Ponds Creek						1 m (3 ft 3 in)	Yarra	37°45′39″S 144°55′59″E	31 km (19 mi)
	Kooyong Koot Creek (Gardiners Creek)						12 m (39 ft)	Yarra	37°52′18″S 145°05′23″E	17 km (11 mi)
	Merri Creek						14 m (46 ft)	Yarra	37°40′01″S 144°58′35″E	69 km (43 mi)
	Darebin Creek						18 m (59 ft)	Yarra	37°39′32″S 145°02′08″E	43 km (27 mi)
	Glass Creek							Yarra
	Koonung Koonung Creek						16 m (52 ft)	Yarra	37°47′11″S 145°06′16″E	11 km (7 mi)
	Salt Creek							Yarra	37°44′27″S 145°04′19″E
	Banyule Creek							Yarra
	Plenty River						19 m (62 ft)	Yarra	37°36′46″S 145°06′20″E	47 km (29 mi)
		Barber Creek					169 m (554 ft)	Plenty		17 km (11 mi)
		Bruces Creek					189 m (620 ft)	Plenty		21 km (13 mi)
		Scrubby Creek					197 m (646 ft)	Plenty		11 km (7 mi)
	Ruffey Creek						17 m (56 ft)	Yarra	37°46′08″S 145°08′22″E	11 km (7 mi)
	Kestrel Creek							Yarra
	Diamond Creek						30 m (98 ft)	Yarra	37°37′42″S 145°12′38″E	11 km (7 mi)
	Mullum Mullum Creek						28 m (92 ft)	Yarra	37°46′25″S 145°11′21″E	11 km (7 mi)
	Stony Creek							Yarra	37°42′58″S 145°12′30″E
	Andersons Creek						17 m (56 ft)	Yarra	37°44′59″S 145°12′38″E	11 km (7 mi)
	Parson Gully							Yarra
	Jumping Creek							Yarra	37°45′42″S 145°15′27″E
	Pigeon Bank Gully							Yarra	37°42′44″S 145°14′26″E
	Watsons Creek						47 m (154 ft)	Yarra	37°39′08″S 145°18′02″E	18 km (11 mi)
	Brushy Creek						65 m (213 ft)	Yarra	37°45′41″S 145°17′45″E	9 km (6 mi)
	Olinda Creek							Yarra	37°45′57″S 145°21′17″E
	Steels Creek							Yarra	37°37′15″S 145°22′31″E
	Pauls Creek						74 m (243 ft)	Yarra	37°38′26″S 145°26′02″E	15 km (9 mi)
	Watts River						80 m (260 ft)	Yarra	37°37′29″S 145°39′34″E	29 km (18 mi)
		Meyers Creek					92 m (302 ft)	Watts	37°35′20″S 145°31′02″E	9 km (5.6 mi)
	Badger Creek							Yarra	37°41′14″S 145°35′41″E
	Woori Yallock Creek							Yarra	37°43′52″S 145°29′53″E
	Ure Creek							Yarra	37°45′18″S 145°32′50″E
	Hoddles Creek							Yarra	37°47′35″S 145°34′54″E
	Don River							Yarra	37°45′20″S 145°35′13″E
	Little Yarra River						108 m (354 ft)	Yarra	37°50′16″S 145°40′46″E	24 km (15 mi)
		Britannia Creek					123 m (404 ft)	Little Yarra	37°47′47″S 145°41′02″E	11 km (6.8 mi)
	Don Creek							Yarra	37°45′47″S 145°36′21″E
	Platts Creek							Yarra	37°45′15″S 145°37′15″E
	Frenchman Creek							Yarra	37°44′23″S 145°37′41″E
	Yankee Jim Creek							Yarra	37°46′21″S 145°39′21″E
	Dee River							Yarra	37°44′59″S 145°38′41″E
	Scotchman Creek							Yarra
	Four Mile Creek							Yarra	37°46′03″S 145°42′25″E
	Pheasant Creek							Yarra	37°45′31″S 145°42′52″E
	Starling Creek							Yarra	37°45′56″S 145°43′36″E
	Big Pats Creek						171 m (561 ft)	Yarra	37°48′22″S 145°45′06″E	12 km (7 mi)
	Dead Horse Creek							Yarra	37°43′39″S 145°45′31″E
	Cement Creek							Yarra	37°42′50″S 145°44′31″E
	Braham Creek							Yarra	37°45′11″S 145°47′32″E
	McDonald Creek							Yarra	37°44′59″S 145°47′49″E
	Crooked Creek							Yarra
	Starvation Creek						219 m (719 ft)	Yarra	37°45′39″S 145°51′16″E	14 km (9 mi)
	McMahons Creek						252 m (827 ft)	Yarra	37°42′48″S 145°52′00″E	14 km (9 mi)
	Armstrong Creek						275 m (902 ft)	Yarra	37°39′56″S 145°50′58″E	13 km (8 mi)
		Armstrong Creek East Branch					352 m (1,155 ft)	Armstrong	37°37′31″S 145°53′26″E	8 km (5 mi)
	Alderman Creek						357 m (1,171 ft)	Yarra	37°43′37″S 145°56′45″E	12 km (7 mi)
	Walsh Creek						357 m (1,171 ft)	Yarra	37°36′28″S 145°56′52″E	19 km (12 mi)
		Clear Creek					357 m (1,171 ft)	Walsh	37°40′15″S 145°58′10″E	12 km (7 mi)
	Baker Creek						488 m (1,601 ft)	Yarra	37°45′38″S 145°49′14″E	7 km (4 mi)
	Woods Creek						532 m (1,745 ft)	Yarra	37°43′02″S 146°07′19″E	11 km (7 mi)
	Mmbw Channel						775 m (2,543 ft)	Yarra		23 km (14 mi)

Geographical features

Bolin Bolin Billabong, cut off in 1100 AD, shown here in 2008 at 10-15% its volume

The Yarra River hosts a wide range of geographical features, perhaps the most plentiful of which are billabongs, of which there are over 100, particularly in the floodplains near Yering, Yarra Glen and Coldstream. Being a considerably thin river for almost its entire length, there are very few islands or lakes. In the middle reaches there are a few rapids of easy to moderate difficulty, however these are sparsely distributed. Below is a list of the river's geographical features, including tributaries (shown in bold) and man-made features or townships (shown in italics), for bearings (from downstream to upstream):

• Entrance to Yarra River in Hobsons Bay
• West Gate Bridge
• Stony Creek
• Maribyrnong River
• Coode Island (created in 1880s)
• Fishermans Bend (created in 1880s)
• Moonee Ponds Creek
• Victoria Harbour (created in 1892)
• Batman's Hill (levelled in mid-19th century)
• Turning Basin
• Melbourne CBD
• Princes Bridge
• Birrarung Marr
• Ornamental Lake
• Punt Hill
• Herring Island
• Burnley Harbour and Wetlands
• Gardiners Creek
• Burnley Bend
• Hawthorn
• Yarra Bend (Ends)
• Dights Falls
• Merri Creek
• Galatea Point
• Studley Park Boathouse
• Flying Fox Lookout
• Fairfield Boathouse
• Yarra Bend (Begins)
• Kew Billabong
• Darebin Creek
• Glass Creek
• Yarra Flats (Ends)
• Koonung Creek
• Bolin Bolin Billabong (cut off in 1100)
• Annulus Billabong
• Salt Creek
• Sills Bend
• Heidelberg
• Yarra Flats (Begins)
• Banyule Creek
• Banyule Flats and Billabongs
• Plenty River
• Templestowe
• Ruffey Creek
• Kestrel Creek
• Westerfolds Rapids
• Fitzsimons Lane Bridge
• Diamond Creek
• Sweeneys Flats
• Mullum Mullum Creek
• Tikalara
• Pound Bend (Ends)
• Bobs Wetlands
• Pound Bend Tunnel
• Stony Creek
• Pound Bend (Begins)
• Andersons Creek
• Fourth Hill
• Whipstick Gully
• Warrandyte
• Scotchmans Hill
• The Island
• Parson Gully
• Black Flat
• Jumping Creek
• Blue Tongue Bend
• Warrandyte Gorge
• Pigeon Bank Gully
• Kangaroo Ground Rapids
• Watsons Creek
• Bend of Isles
• Moniques Island
• Brushy Creek
• Mount Lofty
• Bob's Rock
• Canoe Slalom Rapids
• Christmas Hills Rapids
• Yering Gorge
• Yering Billabongs
• Olinda Creek
• Yarra Glen
• Yarra Flats Billabongs
• Steels Creek
• Coldstream Flats and Billabongs
• Pauls Creek
• Healesville
• Watts River
• Badger Creek
• Warramate Hills
• Woori Yallock Creek
• Woori Yallock Flats and Billabong
• Ure Creek
• Launching Place
• Hoddles Creek
• Don River
• Little Yarra River
• Don Creek
• Yarra Junction
• Don Creek
• Platts Creek
• Frenchman Creek
• Yankee Jim Creek
• Dee River
• Scotchmans Creek
• Warburton
• Four Mile Creek
• Pheasant Creek
• Starling Creek
• Big Pats Creek
• Dead Horse Creek
• Cement Creek
• Braham Creek
• McDonald Creek
• Crooked Creek
• Starvation Creek
• Little Peninsula Tunnel
• Big Peninsula Tunnel
• McMahons Creek
• Upper Yarra Dam
• Upper Yarra Reservoir (created in 1957)
• Armstrong Creek
• Alderman Creek
• Walsh Creek
• Baker Creek
• Woods Creek
• Mmbw Channel

See also

• Geology of Victoria
• Crossings of the Yarra River