Moore River

Moore River is a river in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.

Geography

The headwaters of the Moore River lie in the Perenjori, Carnamah and Dalwallinu Shires. The river then drains southwards through Moora, flows westerly before joining with the Moore River East near Mogumber, then flows in a westerly direction over the Edengerie Cascade, through the northern edge of the Moore River Nature Reserve, then through the Gingin Scarp, discharging into the Indian Ocean at Guilderton.

The river includes a catchment that extends from just south of Three Springs to Guilderton. The catchment has a total area of 13,800 square kilometres (5,328 sq mi) and is 80% cleared for agriculture. The catchment area is used for broadacre farming but with increasing diversification in horticulture and tree plantations. The river mouth at Guilderton typically closes during the summer months due to insufficient water flow, creating a sandbar.

The river has nine subcatchment areas and has a number of tributaries and lakes along the length of the river. The salinity levels in the river catchment vary from brackish to saline with the exception of Gingin Brook which remains fresh throughout the year.

Moore River (disambiguation)

Moore River in Western Australia can refer to a number of places:

Moore River Native Settlement

The Moore River Native Settlement was the name of the now defunct Aboriginal settlement and internment camp located 135 kilometres (84 mi) north of Perth and 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) west of Mogumber in Western Australia, near the headwaters of the Moore River.

History

The settlement was opened by the Government of Western Australia in 1918. It was originally intended to be a small, self-supporting farming settlement for 200 Aboriginal people, with schooling and health facilities available for the children and employment opportunities for the adults. The settlement was supposed to accommodate Aboriginal people mainly drawn from the Murchison, Midlands and south-west regions of Western Australia.

The ambition to turn the settlement into a farming community failed because the land was unsuitable for cultivation. During the 1920s its purpose shifted: Residents were usually brought there against their will as the camp attempted to fulfil the broader functions of orphanage, creche, relief depot and home for old persons, unmarried mothers, and the unwell. It also housed many "half-caste" (mixed-race) children. Many of the Aboriginal and mixed-race children were sent to Moore River, usually against their will, as part of the Stolen Generations