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History of River Names - H


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

HAMERSLEY RIVER – the Hamersley River is located in the south coastal region, beginning near Fitzgerald townsite and flowing generally south east for about 40km into Hamersley Inlet in Fitzgerald River National Park. It was probably named by surveyor/explorer John Forrest during explorations in 1871, most likely after his future wife Margaret Hamersley or her family


HAMILTON RIVER – the Hamilton River is an 11km long tributary of the Collie River which flows generally southerly into the Wellington Dam west of Collie. The name was first recorded by surveyor H M Ommanney in 1845 when he was surveying land for the Western Australian Land Company. It is probably named after Mr Robert Gordon Hamilton, a young man who arrived in WA in 1841 on the ‘Parkfield’ with members of the WA Land Co and who died at Australind in 1843.


HANN RIVER – the Hann River in the central Kimberley is a 224km long tributary of the Fitzroy River. It was probably named by Surveyor General H F Johnston in 1900 after the explorer Frank Hann who had sighted the river in 1898 and named it the Phillips River. It was renamed to honour Hann as there was already a Phillips River in the south of the state.


HANN RIVER NORTH – this 42km long northern tributary of the Hann River was named in 1987.


HARDEY RIVER – the Hardey River is a tributary of the Ashburton River in the Pilbara region, rising in the Hamersley Range north west of Tom Price and flowing for 217km to join the Ashburton near Wyloo homestead. The river was named by surveyor/explorer F T Gregory, leader of the NW Australian Exploring Expedition in 1861. It is probably named after J W Hardey, an early Swan River colonist who would have been well known to the Gregory family.


HARDING RIVER – the Harding River is located in the Pilbara region, rising in the Chichester Range and flowing generally northerly for about 80km to the Indian Ocean near Cossack. It was named by surveyor/explorer F T Gregory, leader of the NW Australian Exploring Expedition in 1861 after J Harding, a volunteer member of the expedition.


HARDING RIVER EAST – this eastern branch of the Harding River is about 36km long, rising in the Chichester Range and flowing in a general northern direction.


HARRIS RIVER – the Harris River was named by the surveyor F T Gregory in 1847, most likely after Joseph Strelley Harris (1813-1889), a Williams pastoralist who pioneered the droving of sheep from Albany to the Avon/Swan districts after contracting to carry the mails between Albany and Perth in 1838. Harris was appointed Resident Magistrate at Williams in 1840. The river is a 48km long tributary of the Collie River.


HARVEY RIVER – the Harvey River is about 90km in length, rising near Mt Keats and flowing southerly, westerly, then northerly into the Harvey Estuary. The presence of this river was reported by Collie and Preston on 18/11/1829 and probably named by Governor Stirling soon afterwards. It is most likely named after Rear Admiral Sir John Harvey, Commander in Chief of the West Indies Station in 1818 when Stirling was commanding the 'Brazen' in those waters. It was Admiral Harvey who recommended Stirling for promotion.


HAY RIVER – the Hay River is located in the south coastal region, rising west of Mt Barker and flowing south south west for about 50km into Wilson Inlet east of Denmark. The river was named by the explorer Dr T B Wilson RN during exploration of the region in December 1829. It is named after Robert William Hay, the Permanent Under Secretary of State for the Colonies at that time.


HELBY RIVER – the Helby is a 17km long river which flows south easterly into Cambridge Gulf in the east Kimberley. It was named by Named by Commander F.C.P. Vereker of H.M. Surveying Ship 'Myrmidon' during his 1888-1889 survey of Cambridge Gulf. It is named after one of the officers aboard Vereker's ship, Lieutenant Harold W.H. Helby, who joined the Royal Navy in 1878, served aboard surveying ships in Australian waters from 1887 to 1902 and retired from the service in 1910.


HELENA RIVER – the Helena River rises in state forest near Mt Talbot and flows generally WNW and then W for about 64km to its confluence with the Swan at Guildford. The river was probably named by Governor Stirling in 1829, possibly after Helena Barbara Dance, the wife of Captain William Dance, captain of the ‘Sulphur’. Some records show her first name as Helen, so it is not certain if the name was given in her honour. The mouth of the Helena was seen by Stirling and other settlers in September 1829, and the river was explored by Ensign Robert Dale in October and December 1829.


HENRY RIVER – the Henry River is a major tributary of the Ashburton River in the Pilbara region, beginning in the High Range and flowing generally northerly for 135km to join the Ashburton in Nanutarra Station. The river was named by the drover/explorer E T Hooley in 1866 when he was establishing a stock route to Roebourne. It is named after John Henry Monger Esq of York.


HENRY RIVER EAST – this eastern branch of the Henry River is about 56km long and joins the Henry near Mt Padbury.


HILL RIVER – the Hill River is another of many rivers named by the explorer George Grey in 1839 whilst exploring the country from the Gascoyne River to Perth. It is not known who Grey named this river after. It is about 55km long, and begins south east of Badgingarra and enters the Indian Ocean north of Cervantes.


HILLMAN RIVER – the Hillman River is a 45km long tributary of the Arthur River, and flows generally east and south to join the Arthur south east of Darkan. The river was named by Governor James Stirling in 1837 during an exploring trip from Kojonup to Pinjarra. It is named after the colonial draftsman and surveyor Alfred Hillman (1807-1883), one of the Governor’s companions on this expedition.


HILLMAN RIVER SOUTH – this southern branch of the Hillman River is about 11km long and flows in a generally easterly diection.


HOPE RIVER – the Hope River is a tributary of the Yalgar River, which is in turn a tributary of the Murchison. It is about 102km long, extending from Lake Annean near Meekatharra and running NNW into the Yalgar. The name of the river was supplied by the manager of Belele Station in 1943, but it is not known who it is named after.


HOTHAM RIVER – the Hotham River, the largest tributary of the Murray River, is about 160km long, rising north east of Narrogin, and flowing generally north and then south westerly before joining the Williams River to form the Murray. The river was discovered by the explorer Thomas Bannister in 1830 and probably named by Governor James Stirling in 1832-33 after Admiral Sir Henry Hotham. Hotham was a Royal Navy hero who had destroyed the French West Indian Squadron in 1812 and was the commander of the Royal Navy forces blockading France after the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. He was on HMS 'Superb' which was in company with HMS 'Bellerophon' off Rochefort in July 1815 when Napoleon surrendered to Captain Frederick Maitland of the latter ship.


HOTHAM RIVER NORTH – this 28km long northern branch of the Hotham River begins in the Dutarning Range and flows in a generally westerly direction to join the Hotham where it crosses the Great Southern Highway near Popanyinning.


HOTHAM RIVER SOUTH – this 15km long southern branch of the Hotham River begins near Cuballing and flows generally northerly to join the Hotham near Yornaning.


HUNTER RIVER – located in the east Kimberley, the Hunter River is about 30km long, discharging into the Indian Ocean in Prince Frederick Harbour. It was named by Captain Phillip Parker King of HMS ‘Mermaid’ in 1820 after Lieutenant James Hunter, the surgeon aboard the ‘Mermaid’.


HUNTER RIVER – this ‘river’ is a small stream less than 2km long, and it is a puzzle that it is named such. It flows into a coastal lake just east of Bremer Bay, and the name was possibly recorded by a surveyor in 1895. The origin of the name is not known.


HUTT RIVER – the Hutt River is located in the mid west region, rising east of Ogilvie and flowing generally west and then south westerly for about 60km, discharging into the Indian Ocean near Port Gregory. The river was named by the explorer Captain George Grey in 1838 after William Hutt M P (1791-18882), the brother of Governor John Hutt, and later in 1840, Chairman of the Western Australian Land Company.

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