Apsley River (New South Wales)

Apsley River in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park

Bridge of Middle Street in Walcha (in the background ) and river dikes at the Apsley River

Apsley Falls in flood

The Apsley River is a river in the northeast of the Australian state of New South Wales. The river rises in the northern tablelands of New South Wales, approximately 11 km west of Tia and 29 km south of Walcha.

Geography

From its source, the river first flows north to the town of Walcha. There he spent his run to the southeast and enters the southwest corner of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. Its water pour over the Apsley Falls in a gorge, the Apsley Gorge. Now, the river continues its course continued to the north, where it flows 24 km southwest of Lower Creek, in the national park, in the Macleay River. The Apsley River and the Macleay River have deep river valleys buried in the Ordovician half sedimentary rock that is composed of greywacke, slate, phyllite, mica schist, chert and shale. Thus, a series of spectacular gorges and waterfalls occur on or near the Apsley River in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

At the Apsley Gorge and the Macleay gorge the vegetation of the humid east coast and the drier western areas meet. 950 native plant species have been found there, 36 of which are rare or threatened. The gorge Acacia is a rare type, which is mainly to be found in these two river valleys. Epiphytic orchids can also see on the trees there.

The Apsley River is located along its entire length in the Local Government Area and Walcha in Vernon County.

Tributaries with muzzle heights

  • Double Hat Creek - 1084 m
  • Ohio Creek - 1030 m
  • Emu Creek - 1024 m
  • Tia River - 457 m
  • Yarrowitch River - 283 m
  • Rowley Creek - 250 m
  • Reedy Creek - 205 m

History

Before European settlement, this was the area of ​​the Aboriginesstämme Ngayaywana and Dyangadi. At the headwaters of the Apsley River and Macleay River was found archaeological evidence of these bins natives.

1818 suggested the explorer John Oxley on his way to the coast on the banks of the Apsley River near the present town of Walcha his camp. His records say. "We let ourselves in a beautiful wide valley down ( ... ), through which flowed a stream, and in about 1 mile away we saw several bonfires, where many natives appeared " A Steinmann shows today where Oxley settled at the Apsley River, Oxley to Lord Apsley, the then Secretary of State for the Colonies, named.

Lumberjacks red cedar ( Toona ciliata ) proposed, were active in the rain forests of the area before 1860. At some hidden tributaries of the Apsley River you possibly can still find red cedar.

1862 drowned physician William Vint Aspinall ( 1828-1862 ) from Walcha in the Apsley River, when he took a bath there.

The Apsley River flooded Walcha 1893, 1935, 1941 and 1952. The largest distance between two high waters until 1962, ten years. The worst flood in Walcha was recorded on 12 January 1962, when 40 commercial buildings and 39 homes were flooded. The damage was AU $ 250,000 -. Through a public appeal for donations AU $ were 11.000, - achieved and the Fund of the Mayor of Armidale was AU $ 8650, - to do so. AU $ 2,000 - had the Walcha LGA pay to eliminate the flood damage in the city, but the work of the volunteers was worth at least twice.

Cost - In September 1967, the LGA Walcha if this is not more than AU $ 140,000 decided to proceed with the flood protection. In September 1971, there were all needed land in the hands of the LGA. The project was almost completed in October 1973 and so the flood warning system was to " Somerset " superfluous. Since the construction of river levees, the city was no longer flooded.

The Apsley River led on 28 November 2008 re- flooding that inflicted considerable damage to farms and led to the loss of livestock. The river dikes preserved Walcha before a flood.

The Deep Hole Mill in Apsley River, above the bridge on Fitzroy Street, was used as a natural swimming pool for Walcha until the Walcha and District War Memorial Bath was completed in October 1970.

1981 proposed the NSW Electricity Commission a large pumped storage power plant on the Apsley River ago to cope with the peak hours. End of 1981, renovated the ELCOM the Cicolini Trail to Apsley River and built a flow control station. But according to a study on the country's development, which called for a larger National Park, the project was discontinued. 1986, the park was established, which should serve to preserve the natural, cultural heritage and the promotion of tourism in the northern tablelands of New South Wales.

In 1993, the Lower Apsley River Landcare Group was established to improve the condition of the floodplain forest at the Apsley River. The group a fenced an area of approximately 300 km ² between Walcha and the Oxley Wile Rivers National Park. The 12 active members pursued their goal relentlessly. Over the years they have planted 320,000 trees on 140 points. Most of them thrive now.

2007 replaced the two-lane bridge in the Middle Street walk with the old single lane wooden bridge over the Apsley River in Walcha.

Fauna

Dingoes, brumbies, diamond pythons, monitor lizards and wild boars live in warmer parts of the lower reaches of the Apsley River.

Oxley-Wild-Rivers-Nationalpark Walcha (New South Wales) Local government areas of New South Wales Walcha Shire Armidale, New South Wales Brumby
73643
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