Moonie River

Moonie River
Moonie River
	Moonie River at Nindigully
	Location of the Moonie River mouth in New South Wales
Location
Country	Australia
States	Queensland, New South Wales
Region	Southern Downs, Orana
Physical characteristics
Source	Braemar State Forest,
• location	near Tara, Queensland
• coordinates	27°19′59″S 150°43′32″E / 27.33306°S 150.72556°E
• elevation	347 m (1,138 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Barwon River
• location	near Mogil Mogil, north of Collarenebri New South Wales
• coordinates	29°18′46″S 148°42′43″E / 29.31278°S 148.71194°E
• elevation	149 m (489 ft)
Length	542 km (337 mi)
Basin size	14,812 km2 (5,719 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	6 m3/s (210 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River system	Barwon River catchment,; Murray–Darling basin
Reservoir	Thallon Weir

The Moonie River (Mooni River) is a river in Shire of Balonne, Queensland and Walgett Shire, New South Wales, both in Australia.^[2]^[3] It is a perennial river of the Barwon catchment within the Murray–Darling basin.

Name

The river was named Mooni by explorer and surveyor Thomas Mitchell on 9 November 1846 but the origins of the name are unknown. In New South Wales, the river is officially known as Mooni River,^[3] but common usage uses the same spelling as in Queensland where most of the river is located. The sign erected by Walgett Shire Council at Gundablouie Bridge on Gundabloui Road also uses the common spelling Moonie River.

History

Yuwaalaraay (also known as Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. The Yuwaalaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Hebel extending to Walgett and Collarenebri in New South Wales.^[4]

Course and features

The rivers rises south west of Dalby, near Braemar State Forest, south-east of Tara in Queensland, and flows generally to the south-west, joined by thirteen minor tributaries, before reaching its confluence with the Barwon River, before Mogil Mogil farm, north of the village of Collarenebri, New South Wales; descending 198 metres (650 ft) over its 542-kilometre (337 mi) course.^[1] The catchment area has no major towns and is extremely flat.^[5] The Moonie River is impounded by Thallon Weir, with a capacity of 185 megalitres (6.5×10^⁶ cu ft).^[5]

The river flows through the towns of the Nindigully, Flinton and just to the west of Thallon. Both the Moonie Highway and Carnarvon Highway cross the river. In New South Wales, only one public road crosses the river : Gundabloui Road crosses the river near Goondoobluie farm in Collarenbri, about 50 km north of the village.