Avon River (Gippsland, Victoria)

On the River Avon at Stratford

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Avon River is a river in Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. Together with the Latrobe River and the Thomson River flowing into Lake Wellington, the westernmost of the Gippsland Lakes. The Avon River rises on the slopes of Mount Wellington (altitude: 1634 m) in the eastern highlands and flows south to Lake Wellington. Its main tributaries are the Valencia Creek, and of the Perry River, which flows to Freestone Creek just before the Lake Wellington.

Latrobe River and Thomson River are extensively used for water supply of Melbourne, Australia's largest paper mill and the power plant industry in the Latrobe Valley, and for the irrigation of the land. The Avon River so far been spared from such use and water discharges.

The upper reaches of the river lies in the rough, heavily forested and largely inaccessible Avon Wilderness Park. The river flows first through wooded hills and then through open, agriculturally used land. Close to Stratford, the river has expanded its bed up to 500 m wide. At this point, it consists mainly of sand and gravel banks. Further downstream adjacent to the Macallister Irrigation District. The Nuntin Creek, which brings a lot of runoff from agricultural land, flowing 10 km below Stratford.

The Avon River was very important for the Aboriginesstamm the Kurnai what is in the Knob Reserve, 3 km south of Stratford, looks, which is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail. This path points to culturally important sites of these first inhabitants of the eastern Gippsland.