The Murray is Australia's longest river. It begins as a trickle of snowmelt high in the Australian Alps and flows for about 2,500 kilometres before reaching the sea in South Australia. For most of its length it forms the border between New South Wales and Victoria.

The river's journey

From the mountains, the Murray winds west through forests of river red gums, past farms and towns, and across dry plains. Along the way it is joined by other rivers, including the Murrumbidgee and the Darling. Together these rivers and their tributaries form the Murray–Darling Basin, a huge area that covers parts of four states and the Australian Capital Territory. Near the end of its journey, the Murray flows through Lake Alexandrina and enters the Southern Ocean through a narrow opening called the Murray Mouth.

People and the river

Aboriginal peoples have lived along the Murray for tens of thousands of years. The river provided fish, mussels, waterbirds and reeds for weaving, and many groups have their own names and stories for it. In the 1800s, European settlers used the river as a highway. Paddle steamers carried wool, wheat and supplies between river towns such as Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura. Later, large dams and weirs were built so that water could be stored and used to irrigate crops, including oranges, grapes and rice.

Life in the water

The Murray is home to the Murray cod, a large fish that can grow to more than a metre long. Turtles, platypuses, yabbies and many kinds of waterbirds also depend on the river and its wetlands.

A river under pressure

Because so much water is taken out for farms and towns, less reaches the lower river, especially in dry years. Low flows can make the water salty, harm fish and wetlands, and sometimes cause the Murray Mouth to clog up with sand. Governments, farmers and scientists are now working together to balance the needs of people with the needs of the river itself.

The Murray is more than a line on a map. It is a water supply, a workplace, a playground and a living system that millions of Australians rely on.