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Nepean River

Coordinates:33°36′32″S150°41′58″E/ 33.60889°S 150.69944°E/-33.60889; 150.69944
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Nepean River
Cowpasture River, Mittagong River, London River[1]
Nepean River, Looking north towardsPenrith,2006
Map
EtymologyIn honour ofEvan Nepean,in 1789[1]
Native nameYandhai(Dharuk)
Location
CountryAustralia
StateNew South Wales
RegionSydney Basin(IBRA),Southern Highlands,Macarthur,Greater Western Sydney
DistrictWingecarribee,Wollondilly,Camden,Penrith,Hawkesbury
CityPenrith
Physical characteristics
SourceMittagong Range
• locationnearRobertson
• coordinates34°33′59″S150°36′01″E/ 34.56639°S 150.60028°E/-34.56639; 150.60028
• elevation766 m (2,513 ft)
Mouthconfluencewith theGrose Riverto form theHawkesbury River
• location
nearYarramundi
• coordinates
33°36′32″S150°41′58″E/ 33.60889°S 150.69944°E/-33.60889; 150.69944
• elevation
92 m (302 ft)
Length178 km (111 mi)
Basin features
River systemHawkesbury-Nepean catchment
Tributaries
• leftErskine Creek,Breakfast Creek (New South Wales),Warragamba River,Glenbrook Creek
• rightBurke River (New South Wales),Cordeaux River,Cataract River (Wollondilly)
National parkBlue Mountains National Park
[2]
Aerial views of Nepean River between Douglas Park and Menangle

TheNepean River(Darug:Yandhai[1]), is amajor perennial river,located in the south-west and west ofSydney,New South Wales,Australia. The Nepean River, and, continuing by its downstream name, theHawkesbury River,almost encircles the metropolitan region of Sydney.

The headwaters of the Nepean River rise nearRobertson,about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Sydney and about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from theTasman Sea.The river flows north in an unpopulated water catchment area intoNepean Reservoir,which suppliespotable waterfor Sydney. North of the dam, the river forms the western edge of Sydney, flowing past the town ofCamdenand the city ofPenrith,south of which flowing through theNepean Gorge.NearWallaciait is joined by thedammedWarragamba River;and north of Penrith, nearYarramundi,at itsconfluencewith theGrose River,the Nepean becomes the Hawkesbury River.

Changes to the natural flow of the river

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The river supplies water to Sydney's five million people as well as supplying agricultural production. This, combined with increased pressures from land use change for urban development, means the river has been suffering significant stress.[citation needed]

There are eleven weirs located on the Nepean River that significantly regulate its natural flow. The river has been segmented into a series of weir lakes rather than a freely flowing river and is also impacted by dams in the Upper Nepean catchment.[3]

The Wallacia Weir was initially built as a wooden weir for theJohn Blaxlandflour millat Grove Farm. The first Australian fishsteps were built when the current concrete weir was built at the beginning of the Nepean Gorge, an anticendant entrenched meander caused by the slow uplift during theBlue Mountainsorogenycarved down through the fifty-million-year-oldHawkesbury sandstone.

The Nepean River viewed fromNorth Richmond, New South Wales.

In the 1950s, the building of theWarragamba Damacross the steep gorge of theWarragamba River,the Nepean's major tributary, intercepted the flow of the great bulk of its waters and diverted them to meet the needs of the growing Sydney metropolitan area, reducing the river to a shadow of its former self.[4]

These dams and weirs have had a potent effect, blocking migratory native fish likeAustralian bass(also locally commonly known as perch) from much of their former habitat, and reducing floods and freshets needed for spawning. Nevertheless, the Hawkesbury/Nepean remains an important and popular wild bass fishery.

The luscious banks of the Nepean River provide a natural haven for local flora and fauna and a quiet location for local residents to relax. AtEmu Plains,the western bank of the river provides a location for outdoor theatre productions on warm summer nights. The eastern bank at Penrith providesbarbecuefacilities and children's play equipment, as well as a wide pathway running for several kilometres for strolls along the riverbank. The eastern bank is also the home of the Nepean Rowing Club.

Wallacia Mandi,aMandaeansmandi(temple) inWallacia,is located on the west bank of the Nepean River, close toTench Reserve.Water from the Nepean River is pumped into baptismal pools at the mandi forritual purification.[5][6][7]

History

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Pre-European history

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Aboriginal peopleused the river regularly, and their fish traps could be seen atYarramundibefore sand and gravel mining redirected the river.Charles Darwinalso wrote of people atEmu Ford,commenting on their skill with spears, whileWatkin Tenchof theRoyal Marinesalso noted their use of spears, lines and nets to capture fish. The people of the Nepean region also regularly traded with people of the western plains via a route that Bell followed when he laid down an alternate route over the mountains, now calledBells Line of Road.

Near Penrith, since 1971 numerous Aboriginal stone tools were found in Cranebrook Terraces gravel sediments deposited by the Nepean River 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, according to repeated, revised and corroboratedradiocarbonandthermoluminescencedating. At first when these results were new they were controversial. More recently in 1987 and 2003 dating of the same sediments strata has revised and corroborated these dates.[8][9]A great many more artefacts made by people have been found in the region dating back to within the last 5,000 years. Karskens et al. have made an attempt to recover, integrate and map archaeological data of the area from both published and unpublished reports.[10][11]

European settlement

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When theBritishcolony was established at Sydney in 1788, the Governor, Captain Arthur Phillip, charted the coast 50 km north to the mouth of the Hawkesbury and around 32 km upstream till they were stopped by a waterfall, most likely at Hawkesbury Heights.[12]Phillip named the river after Lord Hawkesbury, later titledCharles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool,President of the Privy Council Standing Committee on Trade.

Meanwhile, LieutenantWatkin Tenchset off to walk inland, west of Sydney. About 60 kilometres (37 mi) inland, at the foot of theBlue Mountains,he discovered a large river which he named Nepean afterEvan Nepean,the Under Secretary of State at the Home Office and a close personal friend of Arthur Phillip.[13]It took about three years to realise that the Nepean flowed into the Hawkesbury.

Nepean river was also one of the pivotal sites of theHawkesbury and Nepean Wars,fought between theKingdom of Great Britainand local aboriginal clans in the late 1700s and early 1800s.[14]

During the 1820s, the Nepean district's most famous early settler, the landowner and physician SirJohn Jamison(1776–1844), erected aGeorgianmansion, calledRegentvilleHouse, on the model estate which he had established on a rise overlooking the river, not far from the present-day city ofPenrith.Jamison is considered one of early Australia's most important political and agricultural pioneers. A fire devastated the house in the 1860s.

Crossings

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Despite forming the effective western and south-western boundary of the metropolitan region of Sydney for its entire length, there are very few fixed crossings of the Nepean River. Going upstream, these comprise:

Crossing name
(Unofficial name) 		Right bank crossing location Left bank crossing location Comments/use Image
Yarramundi Bridge Yarramundi Agnes Banks Carries theSpringwoodRoad
Victoria Railway Bridge Emu Plains Penrith Completed in 1907, the bridge carries the electrified and duplicatedMain Western railway line.
Victoria Bridge Completed in 1867 and listed on theNSW State Heritage Register,the bridge initially carriedrailandhorse-drawn vehicles,and now theGreat Western Highway,with a daily traffic volume of approximately 24,500 vehicles in 2009.[15]
Yandhai Nepean Crossing Completed in 2018, the bridge carries pedestrian and cycle traffic.
Regentville Bridge Leonay Regentville M4 Motorway,and in 2011, carried an average of 55,000 vehicles per day[15]
Wallacia Carries the Silverdale Road
Brownlow Hill Carries the Cobbitty Road
Camden Kirkham Carries the Macquarie Grove Road, located adjacent to theCamden Airport
Cowpasture Bridge Elderslie Carries road traffic on the Camden-NarellanRoad
Macarthur Bridge Spring Farm Opened in 1973, this bridge is 1.12 kilometres (0.70 mi) long and carries theCamden Valley Way.
Menangle Menangle Park Carries road traffic on the Menangle Road
Menangle Railway Bridge Built in 1864 under the direction ofJohn Whitton,this is the oldest surviving rail bridge in New South Wales; and carries theMain Southern railway line
Menangle Carries road traffic on theHume Highway
Douglas Park Bridge Douglas Park A pair of concrete bridges that carry road traffic on theHume Highway
Carries road traffic on the Douglas Park Drive.
Maldon Bridge Maldon Completed in 1980, the concrete beam bridge carries thePicton Road.
Maldon Suspension Bridge Completed in 1903 and listed on theNSW State Heritage Register,the woodensuspension bridgecarried road traffic, and is now closed to all traffic
Pheasants Nest Bridge Pheasants Nest Carries road traffic on theHume Highway

Floods in the Nepean district

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Nepean River, downstream ofVictoria Bridge,after heavy rains, 2013

The first flood on record - apparently a small occurrence - was in 1795. Others followed in 1799, March & October 1806[16]and 1809. In 1810, after a series of major floods on the Hawkesbury,Governor Macquarieproclaimed the ‘Macquarie Towns’ ofWindsor,Richmond,Wilberforce,Castlereagh,andPitt Townin an attempt to ensure that development was restricted to higher ground, free of flooding. The devastation caused by flooding in February 1817 promptedGovernor Macquarieto issue a notice exhorting settlers, in the strongest possible terms, to build their residences above the established flood levels.[17]

More flooding occurred in 1857 and twice in 1860, both February and May.[18]

The most devastating flood occurred in June 1867 with the Nepean River estimated to have reached 13.4 metres (44 ft) in the river, and 27.47 metres (90.1 ft)AHD.This flood carried away the approaches to the recently builtVictoria Bridge.Emu Plains, Castlereagh, and the lower parts of Penrith were all under flood, causing immense loss of property. Many houses were carried into the river by landslides. Many residents were forced to take refuge in public buildings such as the Penrith Hospital and the public schools. A major flood such as that of 1867 would cause inundation of over 16,000 dwellings and damage costing approximately A$1.4billion.[19]

There have been other notable floods since, particularly that of July 1900 and March 1914. Again there was much flooding of streets and loss of houses and property along the river.

1974 was another significantLa Niñaflood event.[20]

During the2021 New South Wales floods,the Nepean River became overflowed, peaking at 10 m (32.81 ft), withWindsor Bridgesubmerging in its waters, leading to inundated homes and isolated animals in the surrounds.[21]

Mandaean ritual use

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TheAustralian Mandaean communityin theSydney metropolitan arearegularly performsmasbuta(baptism) rituals in the Nepean River.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abc"Nepean River".Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW.Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^"Map of Nepean River, NSW".Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 29 August 2016.Retrieved24 February2013.
  3. ^"Nepean River Subcatchment".Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority. 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 29 August 2007.Retrieved31 January2007.
  4. ^"Themes - The Nepean River".City of Penrith.Archived fromthe originalon 9 September 2006.Retrieved31 January2007.
  5. ^"Mandaean Synod of Australia".5 July 2005.Retrieved18 July2024.
  6. ^"Our new Mandi - An Introduction".The Sabian Mandaean Association.6 March 2024.Retrieved18 July2024.
  7. ^"The Mandaeans of Shepparton".Shepparton Interfaith Network.6 June 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 7 March 2023.Retrieved3 June2023.
  8. ^Attenbrow, Val (2010).Sydney's Aboriginal Past: Investigating the Archaeological and Historical Records.Sydney: UNSW Press. p. 152.ISBN9781742231167.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2023.Retrieved11 November2013.
  9. ^Stockton, Eugene D.; Nanson, Gerald C. (April 2004). "Cranebrook Terrace Revisited".Archaeology in Oceania.39(1): 59–60.doi:10.1002/j.1834-4453.2004.tb00560.x.JSTOR40387277.
  10. ^Karskens, G; Burnett, G; Ross, S (2019)."Traces in a Lost Landscape: Aboriginal archaeological sites, Dyarubbin/Nepean River and contiguous areas, NSW, Australia (Data Paper)".Internet Archaeology(52).doi:10.11141/ia.52.8.Archivedfrom the original on 18 December 2019.Retrieved18 December2019.
  11. ^Karskens, G; Burnett, G; Ross, S (2016). "Traces in a Lost Landscape, Data records". Open Context.doi:10.6078/M7CR5R8Z.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  12. ^Clark, C. M. H(1988).A History of Australia.Vol. I, From the Earliest Times to the Age of Macquarie.Melbourne University Press.p. 235.
  13. ^Thorne, R, ed. (1986)."NEPEAN, Evan (1752-1822), of Loders Court, Dorset".The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820.The History of Parliament Trust.Archivedfrom the original on 26 February 2012.Retrieved30 March2013.
  14. ^Connor, John (2002).The Australian frontier wars, 1788–1838.Sydney: UNSW Press.ISBN0-86840-756-9.Archivedfrom the original on 15 January 2023.Retrieved26 April2018.
  15. ^ab"Nepean River Green Bridge: Transport Study (Draft)"(PDF).Aecom.Transport for NSW.29 June 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 March 2016.Retrieved24 February2013.
  16. ^"HAWKESBURY, MARCH 27".The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser.Vol. IV, no. 159. 30 March 1806. p. 2.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2024.Retrieved20 November2016– via National Library of Australia.
    "Classified Advertising".Sydney Gazette & New South Wales Advertiser.Vol. IV, no. 189. New South Wales, Australia. 26 October 1806. p. 1.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2024.Retrieved20 November2016– via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^"Sydney".The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser.Vol. FIFTEENTH, no. 695. 15 March 1817. p. 3.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2024.Retrieved20 November2016– via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^"SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE NEPEAN BRIDGE".Sydney Morning Herald.Vol. XXXVIII, no. 5976. 1 August 1857. p. 5.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2024.Retrieved23 November2016– via National Library of Australia.
    "THE FLOODS. THE NEPEAN".Sydney Morning Herald.Vol. XLI, no. 6770. 16 February 1860. p. 6.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2024.Retrieved23 November2016– via National Library of Australia.
    "ANOTHER DESTRUCTIVE FLOOD".Sydney Morning Herald.Vol. XLI, no. 6842. 12 May 1860. p. 10.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2024.Retrieved23 November2016– via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^"Hawkesbury-Nepean Flood Damages Assessment"(PDF).NSW Infrastructure.p. 27. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 16 February 2017.Retrieved20 November2016.
  20. ^"La Niña - Detailed Australian Analysis".Bureau of Meteorology.Commonwealth of Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2017.Retrieved14 May2011.
  21. ^Sydney weather live: Evacuation warnings across Western Sydney and Mid-North Coast as Warragamba Dam overflowsArchived22 March 2021 at theWayback Machineby ABC News. 21 March 2021
  22. ^Smith, David Maurice (30 July 2015)."An Ancient Baptism in Sydney".Roads & Kingdoms.Archivedfrom the original on 30 October 2021.Retrieved30 October2021.
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