Gascoyne River (GR1P)

The Gascoyne River is a river in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. At 865 kilometres (537 mi), it is the longest river in Western Australia!

It is said to be an upside-down river, as it flows for about 120 days of the year and below the dry river bed for the remainder of the year. It is in effect a huge water storage system with the river’s aquifers lying below the desert sands.

It flows through sparsely vegetated countryside which is used mainly for gold-mining and sheep stations. The river flows through many permanent pools that are valuable to both stock and native species. Some of the main pools located along the river include Tibbingoona Pool, Mutherbokin Pool and Mibbley Pool.

The river was discovered by Europeans on 4 March 1839 by the explorer Lieutenant George Grey, who named it after a friend, Captain John Gascoyne RN, son of Bamber Gascoyne, a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty.