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History of River Names - K


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

KALGAN RIVER – the Kalgan River is located in the great southern region, rising north west of Kendenup and flowing generally southwards for about 100km into Oyster Harbour east of Albany. This river was recorded as ‘Kal-gan-up by the explorer Dr Alexander Collie in April 1831, but it had been named earlier as the ‘Riviere des Francais’ by the French Scientific Expedition in 1803, and was subsequently known as the ‘French River’ by early settlers until the Noongar name came into general use from 1831. Collie also recorded the name Ya-mung-up for the river, but from late 1831 explorers such as Clint, Dale and then Collie, all used the Kalgan spelling for the river.


KAMMARGOORH RIVER – the Kammargoorh River is located in the east Kimberley region, being about 19km long and discharging into Strickland Bay near Yampi Sound. The name is Aboriginal of unknown origin, and was recorded by surveyor Tom Cleve in 1937 during his survey of a stock route between Yampi Sound and Derby.


KEEP RIVER – the Keep River rises in the Northern Territory and flows for about 172km into the Timor Sea at Joseph Bonaparte Gulf. Only about 9.5km of the river passes through Western Australia. The name was recorded by pastoralist M.P. Durack during explorations on 19/8/1894, and is probably named after Henry Francis Keep (1863-1905), a former Wyndham resident who had moved to Roebourne in 1891 and was M.L.A. for the Pilbara from1894 to 1897. Keep and John Craigie may have carried out an early examination of this river in May 1888. According to Bruce Shaw, the Aboriginal name for this feature where it crosses the Weaber Plain is 'Ngalba'.


KEIGHTLY RIVER – the Keightly River is located in the west Kimberley region, flowing generally southerly for about 37km into the Townshend River near King Sound. The river was named the Keightley River by Surveyor General John Forrest in 1883 during the first Kimberley Survey Expedition, but the name has been spelt Keightly since 1890. The name probably honours an English dignitary, and it is interesting to note that 7 names Forrest used for rivers, a mountain and a town in this region were also used by him for streets in Subiaco, viz: Barker, Keightley, Robinson, Stewart, Townshend, Heytsbury and Derby.


KENT RIVER – the Kent River is located in the south coast region, and is about 140km long. It rises near Tenterden, and terminates in Irwin Inlet, after flowing through the Owingup Swamp. It was Named by Dr T B Wilson R.N.during explorations on 7/12/1829, after one of his exploration party, John Kent of the 39th Regiment, the officer in charge of the Commissariat at the King George Sound settlement.


KING EDWARD RIVER – the King Edward River is located in the north Kimberley, and was named by the surveyor/explorer F S Brockman, leader of the North West Kimberley Exploring Expedition in 1901. It is named after the reigning monarch at that time, King Edward VII (1841-1910) who succeeded Queen Victoria upon her death in 1901. The river flows in a generally northerly direction for 221km into Napier Broome Bay


KING GEORGE RIVER – also located in the north Kimberley region, the King George River was named by the explorer C P Conigrave in 1911 during his privately funded Kimberley explorations. It is named after King George V (1865-1936) who had succeeded to the throne on the death of King Edward VII in 1910. The river flows in a generally northerly direction for about 125km into the Timor Sea. The river meets the sea at the spectacular King George Falls, an approx 80 metre twin falls dropping into a 14km long canyon.


KING RIVER – there are two King Rivers in WA, this one and one in the east Kimberley. Both are named after the same person, Captain Phillip Parker King RN (1791-1856). The name of this river was first recorded by Dr T B Wilson during exploration in December 1829, and it is named King River because King, Captain of HMC ‘Mermaid’ examined the lower reaches of the watercourse during hydrographic surveys in January 1818. One of King's Master's Mates aboard HMC 'Mermaid' in 1818, J.S. Roe, later Surveyor General of WA, located the entrance to this river during a walk around the shore of Oyster Harbour and this is what led King to explore its lower reaches. Other early explorers to use this name were Captain Collett Barker (November 1830), Dr Alexander Collie (May 1831), Stephen Henty and Raphael Clint (December 1831) and Robert Dale (January 1832). The King River rises east of Redmond and flows for about 27km into Oyster Harbour north east of Albany.


KING RIVER – this King River named by (probably) Staff Commander J.E. Coghlan RN during hydrographic surveys in 1884
Named after Captain Phillip Parker King (1791-1856) of HMC 'Mermaid' who recorded the mouth of this river during hydrographic surveys in 1818.

Comments: The King River rises at co-ords 402 700mE 8 227 200mN and flows about 123km into the West Arm of Cambridge Gulf.
King was described as 'the greatest of the early Australian marine surveyors' and had another river (near Mt Barker), King Sound (Derby), King Bay (Dampier) King Cascade (on the Prince Regent River), Mount King (near Kuri Bay) and Mount King (north of Halls Creek) named after him.
The Aboriginal name for the King River near its mouth was recorded as 'Goolime' by surveyor C.W. Nyulasy in 1885.


KORDABUP RIVER – name recorded (as 'Kordalup' or 'Kordabup') by Colonial Draftsman Alfred Hillman during explorations on 6/7/1833.
Named after (unknown - name is of Aboriginal origin)

Comments: The Kordabup River rises at co-ords 509 300mE 6 134 400mN and flows generally southwards for about 11.5km into Parry Inlet.
The Exp. Plan showing Hillman's route shows 'Kordabup' as the Noongar name for Parry Inlet. Exactly when the name came to be applied to the river in not known.


KYULGAM RIVER - named recorded by surveyor Tom Cleave in July 1937 during his examination of this region for a stock route between Yampi Sound and Derby.
Named after (unknown - of Aboriginal origin)

Comments:The Kyulgam River commences at co-ords 581 100mE 8 178 500mN and flows about 10.5km into Strickland Bay..
Aerial photo mosaics prepared in October 1936 prior to Cleave's survey revealed the existence of this watercourse. Cleave's ground party would have crossed it sometime in July the following year.

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