Having watched two seasons of Secret City on Netflix, I naturally wondered about the source of the scenic lake in Canberra. With a bit of online research, I found out that Lake Burley Griffin lies along the course of the Molonglo River; this stream rises in Tallaganda State Forest, on the west flank of the Great Dividing Range, southeast of Canberra. After flowing northwestward to the city, it angles westward to merge with the Murrumbidgee River, the second longest in Australia.
Rising in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, the Murrumbidgee flows northward past Canberra ( in the Australian Capitol Territory) and then westward across the plains of southern New South Wales. Almost 925 miles from its source, this river joins the Murray River (Australia's largest and longest) near Boundary Bend. Unfortunately, a large portion of the Murrumbidgee's headwaters have been diverted into reservoirs, significantly reducing the flow through this ancient and once powerful river; nevertheless, severe floods have continued to plague valley towns during wet years (see La Nina and the Australian Floods).
The Murray River, 1558 miles in length, rises in the Australian Alps, ENE of Melbourne. Flowing northwestward through the "Breadbasket of Australia," the Murray forms the boundary between New South Wales and Victoria. At Mildura, the river angles westward, entering South Australia, and, at Morgan, it turns southward, flowing toward Lake Alexandrina (southeast of Adelaide) and thence to the Southern Ocean. While Canberra lies relatively close to the Pacific Coast of Southeast Australia, its lake and river waters flow a very long distance before reaching the sea.
Rising in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, the Murrumbidgee flows northward past Canberra ( in the Australian Capitol Territory) and then westward across the plains of southern New South Wales. Almost 925 miles from its source, this river joins the Murray River (Australia's largest and longest) near Boundary Bend. Unfortunately, a large portion of the Murrumbidgee's headwaters have been diverted into reservoirs, significantly reducing the flow through this ancient and once powerful river; nevertheless, severe floods have continued to plague valley towns during wet years (see La Nina and the Australian Floods).
The Murray River, 1558 miles in length, rises in the Australian Alps, ENE of Melbourne. Flowing northwestward through the "Breadbasket of Australia," the Murray forms the boundary between New South Wales and Victoria. At Mildura, the river angles westward, entering South Australia, and, at Morgan, it turns southward, flowing toward Lake Alexandrina (southeast of Adelaide) and thence to the Southern Ocean. While Canberra lies relatively close to the Pacific Coast of Southeast Australia, its lake and river waters flow a very long distance before reaching the sea.
