Landgate

Logon to > MyLandgate

History of River Names - I


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

IMPEY RIVER – the Impey is a 24km long tributary of the Murchison which it joins near Mt Murchison. The river was probably named by the explorer F T Gregory in 1857-58 after Sir Roderick Inpey Murchison (1792-1871), a noted geologist who was elected President of the Royal Geographical Society in 1843, and later, in 1855, appointed Director General of the Geological Society in Great Britain.


INLET RIVER – the Inlet River flows into Broke Inlet west of Walpole on the South Coast, and is about 16km long. The name of the river is descriptive, and was first used by surveyor H L Paine during surveys in 1937.


IRGULBA RIVER – the Irgulba River is located in the west Kimberley region, being about 12km long and flowing into Dugong Bay. It is an Aboriginal name recorded by surveyor Tom Cleve in 1937.


IRWIN RIVER – the Irwin River is located in the mid west agricultural region, rising near Pindar and flowing south west and west for about 140km, entering the Indian Ocean near Dongara. It was named by explorer George Grey in 1839 after his friend, Major Frederick Chidley Irwin (1788-1860), the Commandant at Swan River settlement. Frederick Chidley Irwin was the son of Reverend James Irwin. He began his military career in 1808, seeing active service in Spain and Portugal, taking part in several of the major sieges, retreats and battles of the Peninsula War. He was later stationed in Canada and later still in Ceylon. In June 1829, he arrived in the Swan River Colony with a detachment of the 63rd Regiment per the 'Sulphur. He acted as Administrator of the Colony in 1832-33 during Governor Stirling's absence. He was Acting Governor of the Colony in 1847-48 as a result of the death of Lt. Col. Andrew Clarke until relieved by Capt. Charles Fitzgerald. Captain late 1828, promoted to Major in 1837 and to Lt. Col. in 1845. He retired from the army in 1854 and died in Cheltenham in 1860.


IRWIN RIVER SOUTH – this southern branch of the Irwin River is about 25km long and was probably named by surveyor John Forrest.


ISDELL RIVER – the Isdell is located in the west Kimberley region, rising in the Packhorse Range and flowing in a generally north westerly direction for 206km into Walcott Inlet. It was named by explorer Frank Hann in 1898 after James Isdell, then a storekeeper at Nullagine, ‘in recognition of his many good offices to me’. The Isdell Range (part of the King Leopold Ranges) and Mount Isdell (north of the Rudall River National Park in the Great Sandy Desert) were also named by Hann after James Isdell who fulfilled many roles both in the Kimberley and the Pilbara areas. A suggestion of Isdell's led to the development of the Canning Stock Route.

Return to Top


Western Australian Land Information Authority