Murchison River (Western Australia) - Course

Course

The Murchison River rises on the southern slopes of the Robinson Ranges, about 75 kilometres north of Meekatharra in central Western Australia. From there it flows in a westerly direction for about 130 kilometres to its juncture with the Yalgar River, then west for another 100 kilometres before turning south-south-west for 120 kilometres, at which point it is joined by the Roderick River, about 30 kilometres east of the Murchison Settlement. Another 70 kilometres to the south-south-west it meets its other important tributary, the Sanford River. Over the next 100 kilometres it makes a number of sharp turns, taking it about 70 kilometres to the west. It then flows to the south-west, passing under the North West Coastal Highway at the Galena Bridge. Entering the Kalbarri National Park, it flows first to the north-west and then to the north, flowing through the Murchison Gorge, and passing through a number of tight bends known as the Z Bend and The Loop respectively. It eventually turns to the south-west, passing through one more dogleg before disgorging itself into the Indian Ocean at Kalbarri, the only settlement at any point along the river.