| Molonglo | |
|---|---|
 Black swans on Molonglo River | |
| Etymology | Aboriginal: "like the sound of thunder"[1] |
| Native name | Yeal-am-bid-gie[2] |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| State/Territory | |
| Regions | |
| Districts | |
| City | Queanbeyan |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Tinderry Range,Great Dividing Range |
| • location | nearCaptains Flat |
| • coordinates | 35°40′5″S149°29′50″E / 35.66806°S 149.49722°E /-35.66806; 149.49722 |
| • elevation | 1,130 m (3,710 ft) |
| Mouth | confluence with theMurrumbidgee River |
• location | nearUriarra Crossing |
• coordinates | 35°14′30″S148°58′4″E / 35.24167°S 148.96778°E /-35.24167; 148.96778 |
• elevation | 440 m (1,440 ft) |
| Length | 115 km (71 mi) |
| Basin size | 198,900 km2 (76,800 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Murrumbidgee River, Murray–Darling basin |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Queanbeyan River,Jerrabomberra Creek |
| • right | Sullivans Creek |
| Nature reserves | Molonglo Gorge Recreation Reserve, Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Lower Molonglo Nature Reserve |
| [3] | |
TheMolonglo River is aperennial river[4] that is part of theMurrumbidgee catchment within theMurray–Darling basin. It is located in theMonaro andCapital Country regions ofNew South Wales and theAustralian Capital Territory, inAustralia.
The river rises on the western side of theGreat Dividing Range, in Tallaganda State Forest at 1,130 metres (3,710 ft) and flows generally from south to north before turning north-west, throughCarwoola and the outskirts ofQueanbeyan, where it hasconfluence with its majortributary, theQueanbeyan River, and then continues throughCanberra, where it has been dammed by theScrivener Dam to formLake Burley Griffin. The river then flows to its confluence with theMurrumbidgee River, nearUriarra Crossing. Over its 115 kilometres (71 mi)course, the Molonglo River alternates several times between long broad floodplains and narrow rocky gorges. One of the floodplains is called theMolonglo Plain.
From source to mouth, the river is traversed by the Captains Flat Road atCaptains Flat, Briars-Sharrow Road inCarwoola, theKings Highway between Queanbeyan andBungendore, the Yass Road, north of Queanbeyan, theMonaro Highway atPialligo, theCommonwealth andKings Avenues as Lake Burley Griffin betweenParkes andActon, Lady Denman Drive at Scrivener Dam, and theTuggeranong Parkway south of theGlenloch Interchange.[3]
The river's name was recorded as the "Yeal-am-bid-gie" in 1820 by the explorerCharles Throsby.[2] This was probably the collective local Moolinggolah name for the river. (The suffix "bidgee" was common inAboriginal languages for rivers in the Canberra area and presumably means "water" or "river".) TheMoolinggolah people of the district aroundCaptains Flat probably gave the Molonglo its name.[citation needed] Where the river flowed through what is now Canberra, it was probably known after theNgambri people, transcribed asKembury,Canberry, and other transcription variations.[citation needed] The wordmolongolo is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "like the sound of thunder".[1]
The first name given to the River by Westerners was Limestone River, Subsequently, in the early years of European settlement both the Molonglo and the Queanbeyan were known as the "Fish River" for the abundance of native fish in them. The Molonglo was renowned as a beautiful river with excellent fishing for nativeMurray cod,Macquarie perch andsilver perch. This abundance of native fish did not last. Upon commencement of mining operations atCaptains Flat (and contrary to NSW Government assurances), minetailings continually severely polluted the river, including several mass tailings collapses into the river between the 1930s and 1950s, eradicating all native fish and most other aquatic life downstream from the site. Despite government funded rehabilitation programs in 1976, some toxicleachates still enter the river from the Captain's Flat mine site.[5]
Consequently, when Lake Burley Griffin was built upon the Molonglo and filled in 1964, the waters were devoid of native fish. Restocking commenced in the 1970s and continued through 1980s have re-established Murray Cod and Golden Perch in the lake and a short stretch of river upstream. A large stretch of the Molonglo still holds nothing but introduced fish species and is still waiting for the native fish species to be re-established by stockings.
Significant natural restoration work has been undertaken downstream of Scrivener Dam in conjunction with the housing development in the Molonglo Valley during the 2010s.[6] In February 2024, construction began on a 200-metre-long bridge connectingWhitlam with theMolonglo Valley. It is expected to be completed in December 2025.[7]
Rivers of theMurrumbidgee River catchment,New South Wales and theAustralian Capital Territory, Australia | |||||
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Rivers, other watercourses, reservoirs, river islands and waterfalls of theAustralian Capital Territory | |
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| Rivers and creeks | |
| Reservoirs | |
| River islands | |
| Waterfalls | |
