Cockburn River

Cockburn River east Tamworth, artificial rapids of rocks

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Cockburn River is a river in the north of the Australian state of New South Wales.

It rises at Limbri in the south of the plateau of New England at the confluence of Swamp Oak Creek and Jamieson Creek and drains the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. From its source the river flows southwest and empties in Nemingha, 3 km east of Tamworth, in the Peel River.

The streams from the south side of the Moonbi Range all run in the Cockburn River. Along its river banks small, irrigated fields of grain and the surrounding hills are mainly used as pastures

The river was first mentioned by John Oxley on his expedition in 1820 and named after Admiral Sir George Cockburn.

The communities Kootingal and Tintinhull lie on the river. The main railway line in northern New South Wales runs partly along the river valley.

The Cockburn River is one of the fastest flowing rivers in the southern hemisphere. It is found native catfish and Yellow Bellies ( Macquaria ambigua, Family cod perch ) in the river, and also the entrained carp, so decimated many native fish species that they are difficult to find today.