Bell River (New South Wales)

The Bell River is a river in the central west of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Murray-Darling basin and flows into the Macquarie River.

Bell River
Location
Country	Australia
Physical characteristics
Source
- location	Near Orange, New South Wales, Australia
- elevation	726 metres (2,382 ft)
Mouth	Macquarie River, Wellington, New South Wales
- elevation	285 metres (935 ft)
Length	149 kilometres (93 mi)

Course

The Bell River begins in the hills to the north-west of Orange, New South Wales, it flows a generally northerly direction joining the Macquarie River at Wellington, New South Wales. The river is 146 kilometres (91 mi) long and drops 441 metres (1,447 ft).

Platypus have been seen in the lower river near Wellington.

History

Aboriginal Australians of the Wiradjuri nation were the original inhabitants of the area around the river.

The river was named in honour of Brevet Major Bell by European explorer John Oxley, later Surveyor General of New South Wales.

Pieces of gold were found in and along the river in 1851. This started a minor a minor gold rush, mainly near where Nubrigan Creek joins the Bell River.

The river occasionally floods generally near Wellington, however it has flooded further up river. Major floods occurred in 1920, 1926, and in 1990 at Newrea, where the river reached 6.77 metres (22.2 ft).