List of River Name Etymologies

Australasia

Barwon River (New South Wales): Ngiyampaa paawan, meaning "river"
Burnett River: named by James Burnett, explorer
Campaspe River: named for Campaspe, a mistress of Alexander the Great
Cooper Creek: named for Charles Cooper, Chief Justice of South Australia 1856–1861
Daintree River: named for Richard Daintree, geologist
Daly River: named for Sir Dominick Daly, Governor of South Australia 1862–1868
Darling River: named for Sir Ralph Darling, Governor of New South Wales 1825–1831
Diamantina River: named for Lady Diamantina Bowen, wife of the first Governor of Queensland
Flinders River: named for Captain Matthew Flinders, explorer
Franklin River: named for Sir John Franklin, Governor of Tasmania 1836–1843
Gascoyne River: named for Captain J. Gascoyne, friend of explorer Lieutenant George Grey
Goulburn River (New South Wales): named for Henry Goulburn, English statesman
Hawkesbury River: named for Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool (titled Baron Hawkesbury in 1789)
Lachlan River: named for Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales 1810–1821
Macquarie River: named for Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales 1810–1821
Murray River: named for Sir George Murray, then British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Murrumbidgee River: from Wiradjuri, meaning "big water"
Ord River: named for Harry Ord, Governor of Western Australia 1877–1880
River Torrens: named for Colonel Robert Torrens, chairman of South Australia's colonising commission
Rufus River: named by explorer Charles Sturt for the nickname of his travelling companion (Rufus), the red-haired George Macleay
Todd River: named for Charles Todd, Postmaster-General of South Australia 1870–1901
Waikato River: from Māori, meaning "flowing water"
Yarra River: mistranslation from Wurundjeri term yarra yarra