Mary | |
---|---|
Location of the Mary River mouth in the Northern Territory | |
Etymology | Mary Chambers |
Location | |
Country | Australia |
Territory | Northern Territory |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Arnhem Land, Australia |
• elevation | 295 m (968 ft) |
Mouth | |
• location | Sampan Creek, Arnhem Land, Australia |
• coordinates | 12°26′9″S131°42′58″E / 12.43583°S 131.71611°E |
• elevation | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
Length | 225 km (140 mi) |
Basin size | 8,000 km2 (3,100 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
• average | 76.1 m3/s (2,690 cu ft/s) |
[1] |
The Mary River flows in the Northern Territory of Australia and is a site of the Mary River National Park.
The river is approximately 225 kilometres (140 mi) long and rises about 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of Pine Creek. [1] The catchment area is over 8,000 square kilometres (3,089 sq mi) but is ephemeral and only flows in the wet season, during the dry it is a series of pools and billabongs. [2]
The catchment has several small reserve areas forming the Mary River National Park to help protect it. The Arnhem Highway crosses the river near one of the park areas. [3] It also supports multiple land uses including pastoralism, fishing, mining, defence force, tourism, conservation and horticulture. Pastoralism, particularly cattle grazing is the dominant use taking up 63% of the catchment area. [2]
The river has a total of ten tributaries, including the Little Mary River, MacKinlay River, Bowerbird Creek, Mingloo Creek and Douglas Creek. It has a mean annual outflow of 2,400 gigalitres (3.139×109 cu yd). [4]
Its lower reaches form part of the Adelaide and Mary River Floodplains Important Bird Area. The river is noted for its population of saltwater crocodiles, and is breeding area for barramundi, the target fish species for recreational anglers in the area. [2] It is one of eight rivers in the Northern Territory with a large floodplain system in their catchment area. [3] The wetlands occupy an area of approximately 1,300 square kilometres (502 sq mi) and are predominantly freshwater, although they suffer from saltwater intrusion. The wetlands provide a mosaic of habitats and are listed in the Directory of Important Wetlands. [5] It is almost unique for an Australian river in that it has had no major tidal estuary as a river outlet for at least the last 2,000 years. [5]
The Mary River floodplains form a vital habitat in the dry season for some 250 species of birds including jabiru, jacana, brolga and pygmy geese. [6]
Four threatened plants are found along the river including Goodenia quadrifida, Schoutenia ovata and the endangered Cycas armstrongii and Helicteres macrothrix. [7]
The riparian vegetation found on the upper catchment includes mixed woodlands of pandanus, wattle, paperbark and freshwater mangroves with an understorey of grass and sedges. Weeds are becoming problematic with shrub horehound, spiny head sida and wild passion fruit vine featuring. [2]
34 species of fish are found in the river, including the Macleay's glassfish, barred grunter, sooty grunter, fly-specked hardyhead, toothless catfish, flathead goby, spangled perch, barramundi, oxeye herring, rainbowfish, black-banded rainbowfish, northern trout gudgeon, bony bream, catfish, Hyrtl's tandan, freshwater longtom, seven-spot archerfish and the sleepy cod. [8]
Two threatened goanna species, Varanus mertensi and Varanus panoptes, are found along the river, as is the vulnerable yellow-snouted gecko (Lucasium occultum). [7]
The traditional owners of the area are the Wulwulam people. [9]
The river was named by John McDouall Stuart in 1862. He wrote in his diary "Country burning all round. Lat 13°38'24". This branch I have named the Mary, in honour of Miss Mary Chambers." Stuart always believed that the Mary was a branch of the Adelaide river and always referred to it as "The Mary, Adelaide river". [10]
Mary River National Park is an Australian national park located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) east and stretching to the southeast of Darwin in the Northern Territory.
The Adelaide River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia.
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The Territory Wildlife Park is a zoo at Berry Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia, some 31 kilometres (19 mi) south of Darwin. It opened in 1989. Situated on 400 ha of natural bushland, it contains native animals and plants representative of Northern Territory, and especially Top End tropical monsoonal, environments. It contributes to their conservation through research programs as well as through public education. The three main habitats represented are woodland, wetland and monsoon vine forest.
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Crocosaurus Cove is a crocodile herpetarium and aquarium zoo located in an indoor complex in the city district of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Its main focus as the facility's name indicates is the tourism drawcard of the crocodiles of northern Australia. The park has a considerable number of saltwater crocodiles including 700kg and 5.1 metre long male Burt, who appeared in 1986 movie Crocodile Dundee and made news in 2018 for 'psychic predictions' outcomes of the 2018 Soccer World Cup by reaching up and grabbing photographs of players which was seen as match and player performance 'predicting'. The facility has also had success with breeding and hatching baby crocodiles including in July 2022 with baby crocodiles hatched to parent crocodiles female Kate and male William. One of the things most well known at the facility which significantly increased visitor numbers is a 'cage of death' experience where paying visitors can swim in water with large crocodiles while protected from physical contact with them by being enclosed behind a glass safety dome. As previously mentioned a significant number of other native Australian reptiles are also kept at the facility and publicly exhibited. Mick Burns the owner is also owner of Darwin Crocodile Farm.