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History of River Names - C


The following information is a summary of the origins for river names in Western Australia. Please select the first letter of the river you wish to see.
Please note: The names of all river names are being added progressively to the database.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

CALDER RIVER – The Calder River is located in the west Kimberley, and is about 99km long, rising in the Elizabeth and Catherine Range and joining the Charnley River to form Walcott Inlet. This river was first sighted by surveyor F S Brockman in 1901, and is named after John G Calder, the leader of a prospecting party that Brockman encountered near the mouth of the river.


CANE RIVER – the Cane River is located in the Pilbara region, rising in the west of the Hamersley Range and flowing about 168km to the Indian Ocean north east of Onslow. It was named by the explorer Harry Whittall Venn in 1866 after Charles Cane who was with Venn when the river was discovered.


CANNING RIVER – the Canning River was named by Captain James Stirling of HMS ‘Success’ following an examination of the region in March 1827. Stirling named the river after George Canning (1770-1827), an eminent British statesman who was Prime Minister of Great Britain at that time. The Canning rises about 10km NNE of North Bannister and flows generally NW for about 100km into Melville Water, the estuary of the Swan and Canning rivers. The mouth of the river was discovered by a French exploring party in 1801 and named ‘Entrée Moreau’ after Charles Moreau, a midshipman with the party.


CANNING RIVER EAST – the Canning River East is a 19km long tributary of the Canning River from which it derives its name. It joins the Canning at Canning Dam


CANTERBURY RIVER – the Canterbury is a 27km long tributary to the Gardner River, and is located east of Northcliffe. It was previously named Gardner River East Branch. The origin of the name is unknown at present.


CAPEL RIVER – the Capel River is located in the south west of the state, beginning at the junction of its two branches, Capel River South and Capel River North. It is 32 km long (57km to source of Capel River South), flowing into the Indian Ocean at Geographe Bay. It was discovered by explorer Frederick Ludlow in 1834 and is named after Miss Capel Carter, a cousin of the Bussell family. The river was crossed by Lt H W Bunbury in 1836, and he states that it ‘was named the Capel by Mr Bussell’.


CAPEL RIVER NORTH – the Capel River North is the 14km long northern branch of the Capel River.


CAPEL RIVER SOUTH – the Capel River South is the major branch of the Capel River, rising west of Balingup and flowing for 25km before joining the Capel River North to create the Capel River.


CARBUNUP RIVER – the Carbunup River rises in the Whicher Range, and flows generally northwards for about 30 km into Geographe Bay at Molloy Ditch west of Busselton. The river was previously named ‘Lenox River’ by John Molloy, apparently in honour of Lennox Bussell. The date and reason for the change to Carbunup, an Aboriginal name, are no known. ‘Carbunup’ is an Aboriginal place name that has been variously said to mean ‘place of a kindly stream’, ‘place of cormorants’ or ‘place of the stinkwood thicket’.


CARROLUP RIVER – the Carrolup is a 31km long tributary of the Beaufort River, beginning near Holly Siding and flowing roughly north westerly to the Beaufort. Carrolup is an Aboriginal name first recorded by a surveyor in 1878.


CARSON RIVER – the Carson River is located in the north Kimberley, and is a 152km long tributary of the King Edward River. The river was named by Charles A Burrowes in 1886 whilst exploring and locating leases in the East Kimberley on behalf of the Victoria Squatting Company. It is named after Mr David Carson of Melbourne, a Director on the Board of the Victoria Squatting Company. Harry Stockdale is known to have given this name to a river in this region in 1884, probably after the same person, but the location of the river named by Stockdale is uncertain.


CHAMBERLAIN RIVER – the Chamberlain River is an east Kimberley river, rising south of the Durack Range, and running parallel to this range for 220km to its confluence with the Pentecost River near El Questro homestead. The river was named by surveyor F S Brockman in 1901, most likely after William Alexander Chamberlain (1851-1932) or possibly Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914). William Alexander was a shipbuilder at Fremantle from 1870-1900, who built over 100 pearling luggers, and Joseph Chamberlain was an English politician who held various ministries, including Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1895 to 1903 and was very active around the time of Federation.


CHAPMAN RIVER – there are two Chapman Rivers in WA, this one being a 135km long tributary of the Durack River in the east Kimberley region. It was named in a report by Neal Durack in 1918, and is possibly named after Tom Chatman (aka ‘Tom Chapman’), a popular figure in the Kimberley at that time.


CHAPMAN RIVER – the Chapman River is located in the mid west region, rising north east of Nabawa and flowing generally south west for about 105km to the Indian Ocean just north of Geraldton. It was named by the explorer George Grey in 1839, probably after Mr John Chapman MP who was Deputy Chairman of the Western Australian Land Company in 1840.


CHAPMAN RIVER EAST – this is a 28 km long eastern branch of the Chapman which joins it near Narra Tarra Bridge


CHARNLEY RIVER – the Charnley is a 148km long east Kimberley river, rising in the Caroline Ranges and joining with the Calder River to form Walcott Inlet. It was named by the explorer Frank Hann in 1898 after Walter Cecil Chearnley, a pioneer miner and pastoralist at Nullagine. Hann used the spelling Charnley in his diary, but there is little doubt that the person he intended to honour was Walter Chearnley of Nullagine.


COBLININE RIVER – the Coblinine River is located in the Great Southern agricultural region, rising at Ewlyamartup Lake east of Katanning. The river flows roughly north for about 50km to Lake Dumbleyung, then flows westwards out of Lake Dumbleyung for 11km to Gundaring Lake. It then flows for another 16km south west to Parkeyerring Lake where it becomes part of a lake system that eventually finds its way into the Beaufort River East. The name is of Aboriginal origin, having been first recorded by a surveyor in 1879.


COCKERAGA RIVER – the Cockeraga River is a 78km long tributary of the Yule River in the Pilbara region, rising in the Chichester Range and flowing northwards to join the West Yule River. The name was first recorded by surveyor F S Brockman in 1884 and is an Aboriginal name of unknown meaning.


COLLIE RIVER – one of the larger rivers in the south west, the Collie was named by Surveyor General J S Roe in 1829 after Dr Alexander Collie. Collie, accompanied by Lt William Preston, had discovered the river in November 1829 when exploring with Preston. The Collie is about 154km long, flowing westwards from its source in the Darling Range to its mouth in Leschenault Estuary.


COLLIE RIVER EAST – the Collie River East is the 19km long eastern branch of the Collie River.


COLLIE RIVER SOUTH – the Collie River South is the 58km long southern branch of the Collie River which joins the Collie River just south of Collie.


COONDEROO RIVER – the Coonderoo River is a tributary of the Moore River, joining the Moore at Moora. The river is poorly defined flowing through low lying country and lakes north of Moora. It is an Aboriginal name first recorded by a surveyor in 1893, and sometimes spelt Koondaroo.


COONGAN RIVER – the Coongan River is a 200km long tributary of the De Grey River, beginning west of Nullagine and flowing northwards to join the De Grey at Mulyie Pool near Mt Woodhouse. The name is Aboriginal and was first recorded by surveyor Alexander Forrest in 1878.


COORBEELIE RIVER – the Coorbeelie River is a short northwards flowing tributary of the Sherlock River which rises in the Chichester Range in the Pilbara. The name is of Aboriginal origin, first appearing on maps in 1910.


CORDINUP RIVER – the Cordinup is a short 16km long coastal stream flowing into the Southern Ocean near Mettler, north east of Albany. The name is of Aboriginal origin, and was first recorded by a surveyor in 1888.


CROSSMAN RIVER – the Crossman River is a 42km long tributary of the Hotham River which rises near Wandering and flows generally westerly to join the Hotham near Boddington. The river is named after Lt William Crossman of the Royal Engineers who was resident in WA from 1852 to 1856, and who in company with surveyor A C Gregory, examined and reported on various routes between Perth and Albany in 1853. He recommended a direct line passing through Kelmscott and Williams rather than the then current routes through York or Bunbury. The river was most likely named by surveyor F T Gregory in 1853.


CUNJARDINE RIVER – the Cunjardine River is a 43km long tributary of the Mortlock River North which is a tributary of the Avon River. The river was named by the Shire of Goomalling in 1991 after consultation with land-owners in the vicinity, and derives its name from an Aboriginal place name near its mouth which was also the name of a former school in the area. The river was sometimes previously referred to as the Salt River.


CUNNINGHAME RIVER – The Cunninghame River is an unusual river, in that it is an anabranch of the Fitzroy River. It is located in the Kimberley, diverging from the Fitzroy River near Fitzroy Crossing, and rejoining the Fitzroy some 54km further south west. The name of the river was suggested by surveyor Hugh Barclay and approved in 1939, It is named after a former Postmaster at Fitzroy Crossing, James Cunninghame, who had recently retired and been decorated for his long service in the tropics. The name has sometimes been misspelt Cunningham.

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