Robe River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Australia |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Hamersley Range |
• elevation | 477 metres (1,565 ft) [1] |
Mouth | |
• location | Indian Ocean |
• elevation | sea level |
Length | 276 kilometres (171 mi) |
Basin size | 3,350 square kilometres (1,293 sq mi) [2] |
Robe River is a river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The headwaters of the river rise in the Hamersley Range near Marana Spring then flow in a north westerly direction past the Robe River-Deepdale mine, crossing the North West Coastal Highway near the Pannawonica turnoff then discharging into the Indian Ocean near Robe Point.
Robe River has two tributaries: Mungarathoona Creek and Kumina Creek.
The Robe is an ephemeral river and is restricted to a series of permanent pools that act as important refugia for native fauna through the dry season. [3]
The rivers experiences periodical flooding. Following Cyclone Monty in 2004 the river was in full flood resulting in Pannawonnica being cut off and people being rescued from the roof of Yarraloola homestead. [4]
In 2009, following heavy rainfall, the river burst its banks cutting roads and railway lines. Yarraloola Station was evacuated and Rio Tinto railway network was disrupted as a result. [5]
The Pilbara is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a global biodiversity hotspot for subterranean fauna.
Great Northern Highway is an Australian highway that links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its northernmost port, Wyndham. With a length of almost 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi), it is the longest highway in Australia, with the majority included as part of the Perth Darwin National Highway. The highway, which travels through remote areas of the state, is constructed as a sealed, predominantly two-lane single carriageway, but with some single-lane bridges in the Kimberley. Economically, it provides vital access through the Wheatbelt and Mid West to the resource-rich regions of the Pilbara and Kimberley. In these areas, the key industries of mining, agriculture and pastoral stations, and tourism are all dependent on the highway.
North West Coastal Highway is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the coastal city of Geraldton with the town of Port Hedland. The 1,300-kilometre-long (808 mi) road, constructed as a sealed two-lane single carriageway, travels through remote and largely arid landscapes. Carnarvon is the only large settlement on the highway, and is an oasis within the harsh surrounding environment. The entire highway is allocated National Route 1, part of Australia's Highway 1, and parts of the highway are included in tourist routes Batavia Coast Tourist Way and Cossack Tourist Way. Economically, North West Coastal Highway is an important link to the Mid West, Gascoyne and Pilbara regions, supporting the agricultural, pastoral, fishing, and tourism industries, as well as mining and offshore oil and gas production.
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The Fortescue River is an ephemeral river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is the third longest river in the state.
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The Yule River is an ephemeral river in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It was named on 10 August 1861 by the surveyor and explorer Frank Gregory while on expedition in the area, after Thomas Newte Yule, at times farmer of Toodyay, winemaker, Acting Colonial Secretary and Magistrate.
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Mardie Station is a pastoral lease and sheep then cattle station that was established in 1866 in the Pilbara region of Western Australia near the mouth of the Fortescue River. The leasee in 2012 was Fourseasons Corporation; Mardie is operating under the Crown Lease number CL453-1984 and has the Land Act number LA3114/1027.
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Severe Tropical Cyclone Monty was a powerful category 4 tropical cyclone that formed during late February 2004. Monty was the 6th tropical cyclone and the 3rd Severe tropical cyclone of the 2003-04 Australian region cyclone season. Monty made landfall in a large, sparsely populated region of the Pilbara, Western Australia. Due to the low population, damages inland were not high, although there was major flooding and many roads were impassable because they were flooded or washed away by water. Monty set record high amounts of flooding in some parts of Western Australia.
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Media related to Robe River at Wikimedia Commons