What is the longest river in Australia?

According to the Australian Government, the lengths of the ten longest rivers in Australia were recalculated in September 2008 by Geoscience Australia using data from the National Topographic Database, taking into account only the official names of the rivers, so their tributaries are not taken into account.

1 . The Murray River

Australia's longest river is the Murray River at 2,508 kilometres.

The Murray River rises in the Great Dividing Range in the Asutralian Alps, flows through the south-east of the country and empties into the Indian Ocean near Adelaide.

Major tributaries include the Mitta Mitta River (160km), the Kiewa River (100km), the Murrumbidgee River (1,486km), the Goulburn River (654km) and the Darling River (1,545km).

2 . The Darling River

The length of the Darling River is 1,545 kilometres, which is based solely on the sections of the river referred to as the 'Darling River' in the database above.

However, although the Murray River is considered to be the longest river in Australia, if the longest tributaries of the Darling River, which are the Culgoa, Balonne and Condamine, are taken into account, its total length increases to 2,740 kilometres, making it the longest waterway in Australia.

3 . The Murray-Darling Basin

The Darling-Murray River is Australia's most important river system, characterised by few tributaries, low rainfall and high evaporation.

Source: Murray Darling Basin

In addition, three-quarters of Australia's irrigated crops and pastures are grown in this catchment and it is home to important sites in Australia's cultural and natural heritage.

According to WWF, the Murray-Darling River System is among the top ten most threatened rivers in the world due to the introduction of invasive species, river regulation systems, salinisation and climate change.