Darling River - Wikipedia Darling River Not to be confused with Great Darling Anabranch. Darling River Aerial view of the Darling River near Menindee Country Australia State New South Wales Part of Murray River, Murray - Darling basin Tributaries - left Barwon River, Little Bogan River - right Culgoa River, Warrego River, Paroo River Cities Bourke, Wilcannia, Menindee, Wentworth Source confluence of Barwon and Culgoa Rivers - location near Brewarrina, NSW - elevation 119 m ( 390 ft ) - coordinates 29 ° 57 ′ 31 '' S 146 ° 18 ′ 28 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 29.95861 ° S 146.30778 ° E ﻿ / - 29.95861 ; 146.30778 Mouth confluence with Murray River - location Wentworth, NSW - elevation 35 m ( 115 ft ) - coordinates 34 ° 6 ′ 47 '' S 141 ° 54 ′ 43 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 34.11306 ° S 141.91194 ° E ﻿ / - 34.11306 ; 141.91194 Coordinates : 34 ° 6 ′ 47 '' S 141 ° 54 ′ 43 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 34.11306 ° S 141.91194 ° E ﻿ / - 34.11306 ; 141.91194 Length 1,472 km ( 915 mi ) Basin 609,283 km ( 235,245 sq mi ) Discharge - average 100 m / s ( 3,530 cu ft / s ) approx. The Darling is a major tributary of the Murray - Darling system The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring 1,472 kilometres ( 915 mi ) from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is 2,844 km ( 1,767 mi ) long, making it the longest river system in Australia. The Darling River is the outback 's most famous waterway. The Darling has been in poor health, suffering from overuse of its waters, pollution from pesticide runoff and prolonged drought. In some years it has barely flowed at all. The river has a high salt content and declining water quality. Increased rainfall in its catchment in 2010 has improved flow, but the health of the river will depend on long - term management. The Division of Darling, Division of Riverina - Darling, Electoral district of Darling and Electoral district of Lachlan and Lower Darling were named after the river. Contents 1 History 2 Course 2.1 Population centres 3 In popular culture 4 See also 5 References 6 External links History The flood in the Darling, 1890, oil on canvas by William Charles Piguenit The Queensland headwaters of the Darling ( the area now known as the Darling Downs ) were gradually colonized from 1815 onward. In 1828 the explorers Charles Sturt and Hamilton Hume were sent by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Ralph Darling, to investigate the course of the Macquarie River. He discovered the Bogan River and then, early in 1829, the upper Darling, which he named after the Governor. In 1835, Major Thomas Mitchell travelled a 483 - kilometre ( 300 mi ) portion of the Darling River. Although his party never reached the junction with the Murray River he correctly assumed the rivers joined. In 1856, the Blandowski Expedition set off for the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers to discover and collect fish species for the National Museum. The expedition was a success with 17,400 specimens arriving in Adelaide the next year. Although its flow is extraordinarily irregular ( the river dried up on no fewer than forty - five occasions between 1885 and 1960 ), in the later 19th century the Darling became a major transportation route, the pastoralists of western New South Wales using it to send their wool by shallow - draft paddle steamer from busy river ports such as Bourke and Wilcannia to the South Australian railheads at Morgan and Murray Bridge. But over the past century the river 's importance as a transportation route has declined. In 1992, the Darling River suffered from severe cyanobacterial bloom that stretched the length of the river. The presence of phosphorus was essential for the toxic algae to flourish. Flow rates, turbulence, turbidity and temperature were other contributing factors. In 2008, the Federal government purchased Toorale Station in northern New South Wales for A $ 23 million. The purchase allowed the government to return 11 gigalitres ( 2.4 × 10 ^ imp gal ; 2.9 × 10 ^ US gal ) of environmental flows back into the Darling. Course The whole Murray -- Darling river system, one of the largest in the world, drains all of New South Wales west of the Great Dividing Range, much of northern Victoria and southern Queensland and parts of South Australia. Its meandering course is three times longer than the direct distance it traverses. Much of the land that the Darling flows through are plains and is therefore relatively flat, having an average gradient of just 16 mm per kilometre. Officially the Darling begins between Brewarrina and Bourke at the confluence of the Culgoa and Barwon rivers ; streams whose tributaries rise in the ranges of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales west of the Great Dividing Range. These tributaries include the Balonne River ( of which the Culgoa is one of three main branches ) and its tributaries ; the Macintyre River and its tributaries such as the Dumaresq River and the Severn Rivers ( there are two - one either side or the state border ) ; the Gwydir River ; the Namoi River ; the Castlereagh River ; and the Macquarie River. Other rivers join the Darling near Bourke or below - the Bogan River, the Warrego River and Paroo River. Darling River at Louth South east of Broken Hill, the Menindee Lakes are a series of lakes that were once connected to the Darling River by short creeks. The Menindee Lake Scheme has reduced the frequency of flooding in the Menindee Lakes. As a result, about 13,800 hectares of lignum and 8,700 hectares of Black box have been destroyed. Weirs and constant low flows have fragmented the river system and blocked fish passage. The Darling River runs south - south - west, leaving the Far West region of New South Wales, to join the Murray River on the New South Wales - Victoria border at Wentworth, New South Wales. The Barrier Highway at Wilcania, the Silver City Highway at Wentworth and the Broken Hill railway line at Menindee, all cross the Darling River. Part of the river north of Menindee marks the border of Kinchega National Park. In response to the 1956 Murray River flood, a weir was constructed at Menindee to mitigate flows from the Darling River. The north of the Darling River is in the Southeast Australia temperate savanna ecoregion and the southwest of the Darling is part of the Murray Darling Depression ecoregion. Population centres Major settlements along the river include Brewarrina, Bourke, Louth, Tilpa, Wilcannia, Menindee, Pooncarie and Wentworth. Wentworth was Australia 's busiest inland port in the late 1880s. Navigation by steam boat to Brewarrina was first achieved in 1859. Brewarrina was also the location of intertribal meetings for Indigenous Australians who speak Darling and live in the river basin. Ancient fish traps in the river provided food for feasts. These heritage listed rock formations have been estimated at more than 40,000 years old making them the oldest man - made structure on the planet. In popular culture Australian poet Henry Lawson wrote a well - known ironic tribute to the Darling River. To quote another Henry Lawson poem : The skies are brass and the plains are bare, Death and ruin are everywhere ; And all that is left of the last year 's flood Is a sickly stream on the grey - black mud ; The salt - springs bubble and the quagmires quiver, And this is the dirge of the Darling River. -- Henry Lawson He also wrote about the river in The Union Buries Its Dead and `` Andy 's Gone With Cattle ''. Other bush poets who have written about the river include Will Ogilvie and Breaker Morant. See also New South Wales portal Environment portal Water portal Darling River hardyhead Great Darling Anabranch List of rivers of New South Wales List of Darling River distances Water security in Australia References Jump up ^ `` ( Australia 's ) Longest Rivers ''. Geoscience Australia. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 2009 - 02 - 16. ^ Jump up to : Sally Macmillan ( 24 January 2009 ). `` Darling River townships offer historic route ''. The Courier - Mail. Queensland Newspapers. Retrieved 30 October 2010. Jump up ^ Baker, D.W.A. ( 1967 ). `` Mitchell, Sir Thomas Livingstone ( 1792 - 1855 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Publishing. Retrieved 17 March 2011. Jump up ^ `` Blandowski, William ( 1822 - 1878 ) ''. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 31 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Algal Blooms ''. CSIRO Land and Water. 28 January 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011. Jump up ^ Franklin, Matthew ( 9 January 2010 ). `` Wong slaps down critics of $23 m Darling River water purchase ''. The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 30 October 2010. Jump up ^ `` Surface Water Resources ''. Murray Darling Basin Commission. 29 October 2006. Archived from the original on 19 February 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` The Darling River ''. Central Darling Shire Council. Archived from the original on 15 February 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Menindee Lakes ''. Discovering the Darling. Murray Darling Environmental Foundation. Retrieved 16 January 2012. Jump up ^ Lawson, Henry. `` The Darling River ''. Classic Reader. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 28. Jump up ^ `` The Darling River ''. Bourke Shire Council. Archived from the original on 16 February 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011. External links Darling River. `` Macquarie - Bogan River catchment '' ( map ). Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. `` Barwon, Darling and Far Western catchments '' ( map ). Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. `` A river runs through it '' Daily Telegraph article - 6 June 2007 Photos of the Darling / Barwon river between Brewarrina and Bourke, taken over 2003 - 2006. Flickr River systems and rivers of the Darling River catchments, Australia Bogan Condamine Darling Great Darling Anabranch Maranoa Menindee Lakes Merivale Paroo / Warrego / Culgoa catchment Birrie Culgoa ( QLD / NSW ) Langlo Nive Nivelle Paroo ( QLD / NSW ) Ward Warrego ( QLD / NSW ) Weir ( QLD / NSW ) Balonne / Macintyre catchment Balonne Beardy ( NSW ) Beardy Waters ( NSW ) Bluff ( NSW ) Deepwater ( NSW ) Dumaresq ( NSW ) Macintyre ( NSW / QLD ) Macintyre Brook Merivale Mole ( NSW / QLD ) Narran ( QLD / NSW ) Severn - NSW ( NSW ) Severn - QLD ( QLD / NSW ) Barwon / Macquarie catchment Barwon Bell Bokhara ( QLD / NSW ) Boomi Campbells Castlereagh Cobrabald Cockburn Coolaburragundy Crudine Cudgegong Duckmaloi Fish Gwydir Horton Little Weir Little ( Dubbo ) Macdonald Macquarie Manilla Mehi Meroo Mooki Moonie Namoi Peel Rocky Talbragar Turon Bald Berrygil Bowman Brigalow Crossing Moredun Tycannah River systems and rivers of New South Wales, Australia Rivers flowing towards the Coral and Tasman seas of the South Pacific Ocean Rivers of the Northern Rivers catchment Aberfoyle Apsley Back Barcoongere Bellinger Beaury Bielsdown Blicks Blue Mountain Bobo Boonoo Boonoo Boundary ( Glen Fernaigh ) Boundary ( Nymboida ) Boyd Brunswick Camden Haven Cataract Chandler Chandlers Christmas Clarence Clouds Coldstream Commissioners Waters Coopers Corindi Doyles Dyke Eden Ellenborough Esk Evans Forbes Gara Georges Glen Fernaigh Guy Fawkes Hastings Henry Kalang Kangaroo Kunderang Leycester Little Murray Little Nymboida Macleay Mann Maria Maryland Nambucca Never Never Nowlands Nymboida Oaky Oban Orara Oxley Pappinbarra Pipers Ralfes Richmond Rosewood Rous Sandon Sandy Sara Shannon Stewarts Styx Taylors Arm Thone Tia Timbarra Tobins Tooloom Towallum Tweed Urumbilum Warnes Wilson Wilsons Wollomombi Wooli Wooli Yarrow Yarrowitch Rivers of the Hunter - Central Rivers catchment Allyn Avon Back Baerami Barigan Barnard Barrington Blackwater Bobin Bow Bowman Burns Bylong Caparra Cattle Creek Cedar Cedar Party Cells Chichester Cobark Congewai Connollys Cooba Bulga Coolongolook Cooplacurripa Crawford Curricabark Dawson Dilgry Dingo Gloucester Goulburn Growee Hunter Isis Karuah Kerripit Krui Lansdowne Mammy Johnsons Manning Merriwa Moonan Moppy Mummel Munmurra Myall Nowendoc Pages Creek Pages River Paterson Pigna Barney Rouchel Rowleys Stewarts Telegherry The Branch Walcrow Wallamba Wallingat Wangat Wang Wauk Wards Widden Williams Wollombi Worondi Rivers of the Sydney Basin Avoca Lake Avon Bargo Bedford Budgewoi Lake Burke Capertee Cataract Colo Cooks Coorongooba Cordeaux Coxs Duck Du Faur Erskine Georges Grose Hacking Hawkesbury Hollanders Jenolan Jooriland Kanangra Kedumba Kowmung Lake Macquarie Lake Munmorah Lane Cove Little ( Oberon ) Little ( Wingecarribee ) Little ( Wollondilly ) Macdonald Mangrove Mogo Mooney Mooney Mulwaree Nattai Nepean Ourimbah Paddys Parramatta Pittwater River Lett Rush Tarlo Terrigal Lagoon Tonalli Tuggerah Lake Tuglow Wamberal Lagoon Warragamba Webbs Wingecarribee Wolgan Wollangambe Wollemi Wollondilly Woronora Wyong Rivers of the Southern Rivers catchment Araluen Back Bega Bemboka Bendoc Bermagui Berrima Bettowynd Bimberamala Bombala Brogo Buckenbowra Burrungubugge Clyde Coolumbooka Corang Delegate Deua Endrick Eucumbene Genoa Goobarragandra Gungarlin Imlay Ingeegoodbee Jacobs Jerrabattgulla Kangaroo Lake Illawarra Little Plains Little Thredbo Maclaughlin Merimbula Lake Merrica Minnamurra Mongarlowe Moruya Mowamba Murrah Nadgee Nullica Nunnock Pambula Pinch Port Kembla Queensborough Queens Pound Shoalhaven Snowy St Georges Basin Thredbo Tomaga Towamba Tuross Twofold Bay Undowah Wadbilliga Wallagaraugh White Rock Wog Wog Wonboyn Yadboro Yowaka Yowrie Rivers of the Murray -- Darling basin Murray catchment Billabong Edward Jerra Jerra Little Murray Murray Niemur Rufus Tooma Wakool Darling catchment Bogan Culgoa Darling Little ( Parkes ) Barwon / Macintyre / Macquarie sub-catchments Abington Bakers Barwon Beardy Bell Bluff Bokhara ( QLD / NSW ) Boomi Bundock Campbells Carole Castlereagh Cheshire Cobrabald Cockburn Coolaburragundy Coolibah Watercourse Crudine Cudgegong Deepwater Duckmaloi Dumaresq Dungowan Emu Swamp Ewenmar Evans Plains Fish Frazers Gwydir Halls Horsearm Horton Little Weir Little ( Dubbo ) Macdonald Macintyre ( QLD / NSW ) Macquarie Manilla Mehi Meroo Mole Mooki Moonie Namoi Narran Peel Queen Charlottes Quegobla Quirindi Reedy Rocky Sandy ( Cobar ) Sandy ( Tamworth ) Severn ( NSW ) Sewells Summer Hill Talbragar Turon Murrumbidgee catchment Adelong Adjungbilly Balgalal Barmedman Berthong Big Badja Billabong ( Junee ) Blakney Bland Bowning Bredbo Bulla Burkes Burra ( Palerang ) Burra ( Gundagai ) Cooks Vale Cooma Cooma Back Cowriga Cullinga Derringullen Flyers Goobarragandra Goodradigbee Goorudee Happy Jacks Jeir Jugiong Kindra Kybeyan Lachlan Molonglo ( NSW / ACT ) Murrumbidgee ( NSW / ACT ) MIA Numeralla Peak Pinchgut Queanbeyan ( NSW / ACT ) Rock Flat Rocky Ponds Sandy ( Mirrool ) Strike - a-Light Tarcutta Tumut Yarrangobilly Yass Lachlan sub-catchment Abercrombie Belubula Bolong Boorowa Cadiangullong Crookwell Goobang Gunningbland Isabella Jerrara Jerrawa Mirrool Peelwood Phils Pudman Retreat VIAF : 237015350 GND : 4668773 - 7 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Darling_River&oldid=808187674 '' Categories : Darling River Rivers in the Riverina Far West ( New South Wales ) Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from June 2011 Use Australian English from June 2011 All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English Coordinates on Wikidata Geobox usage tracking for river type All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2011 Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Alemannisch Azərbaycanca বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Bosanski Català Чӑвашла Cebuano Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית ქართული Қазақша Кыргызча Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски മലയാളം Монгол Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Українська Tiếng Việt ייִדיש 中文 54 more Edit links This page was last edited on 1 November 2017, at 12 : 02. 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Question: where does the darling river meet the murray
Answer: Mouth