Murray Cod

Maccullochella peelii
Australia’s largest freshwater fish found
throughout the Murray–Darling river system.
Adults can live up to 50-60 years. Once Nardoo
abundant, their numbers have steeply declined. Marsilea drummondii
A type of fern that grows in shallow
ephemeral wetlands mainly in the north-
western part of the Basin. The brown
spore capsules have long been collected by
Tiger Orchid Aboriginal people to be ground up and made
Cymbidium canaliculatum
Barking Owl into damper.
Grows on eucalyptus
and cypress pine trees,
Ninox connivens Superb Fairywren
often along creeks and Occurs throughout the Murray–Darling Malurus cyaneus
sandy areas, in the Basin, but is not common. Pairs maintain A familiar bird in gardens in the southern and eastern
specific territories and prey on birds, small
northern part of the
mammals, and insects.
parts of the Basin. Adult males have blue plumage and Bogong Moth
Basin. Displays of females and immature males are brown. Agrotis infusa
fragrant flowers
are produced Each year, millions of moths
in October and migrate from north-western
NSW and southern Queensland
November. Quandong to aestivate (‘hibernate’ in
Santalum acuminatum
Regent Parrot summer) in the Australian
A favourite native fruit from Polytelis anthopeplus Alps. In the past, Aboriginal
the semi-arid parts of the people congregated in
In addition to Western Australia, this parrot
Basin that can be eaten the mountains in summer
is found in a small area in the south-west of the
fresh, stewed or dried. to feast on the protein-
Murray–Darling Basin, centred on the River Murray
rich moths.
around the South Australian border. The preservation
of habitat in the region is essential for its survival.

Darling Lily Turquoise

Crinum flaccidum
Parrot

iver
Flowers in the Neophema pulchella

r
Nive R

ve
Ri
late summer on

iver

go
Frequently inhabits

rre
lo R
floodways in the

Wa
Augathella remnant vegetation
Lang

Ward River
drier western
adjoining farmland.
plains of the
It spends most of the
Basin. It is some-
day foraging on the
times known as The Darling River is the iconic waterway of the outback, Charleville
Mitchell ground for grass seed.
the Murray Lily, the stretching 1,472 kilometres across the mostly flat plains Cheepie
Morven Roma
Miles
Macquarie Crinum, of western New South Wales.
Chinchilla
or the Paroo Lily.
ek

Condamine Condamine
River
Beechal Cre

M ar an oa
Dalby
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Surat
Calyptorhynchus magnificus samueli Wyandra Tara

Q UEENS L AND

R iv e
Brisbane

r
These magnificent birds are found along the
Toowoomba
floodplain of the Darling–Barwon river, and the
iver
lower reaches of its tributaries, from Menindee Moo
nie R
ek

Beardmore Dam r Moonie Millmerran

ive
Cre

to Queensland. Bollon St George ir R

We Allora
ne
Nebi

Jack Taylor Weir

Cunnamulla
reek

Warwick
Inglewood
C
llala

er Goondiwindi
R iv Lake Coolmunda
nga

n ne Stanthorpe
B a lo
Mu

Dirranbandi Barwon River er

ve
r
q Riv
Hungerford Ri er Texas ares
oo Riv
er rie m
Bir
r

Riv Mungindi
Pa

Du
lgoa Tenterfield
Cu Goodooga

Gil Gil Creek Pindari Lake

iv er Lightning Ridge Seve
nR Moree rn Ri
rra v
r

er
Ri Enngonia
ve

Na
go Warialda
re
ar Gwydir River
W Ma
Wanaaring cint Glen Innes
er yre
Narran Lakes
R iv
Inverell Rive
r
n
rwo
Azure Kingfisher Ba Walgett Lake Copeton

Brewarrina Wee Waa

Ceyx azurea Bourke
Bundarra
Namoi River
At home in the red gum forests along the Narrabri
Murray and its Victorian tributaries. It is Louth
Southern
Byrock
frequently sighted on low overhanging Manilla
Split Rock
Reservoir
Uralla
Bell Frog
ek

branches, scanning the water for small fish, Lake Keepit

Litoria raniformis
Cre

White Cliffs iv er
frogs and insects. gR Coonamble
Coxs

rlin
Ma

Da Occurs around
cqu

Tamworth
Gunnedah
Coonabarabran wetlands,
arie

Chaffey Dam

Gulargambone farm dams and

Rive

Moira Grass at Hattah Lakes comes to life with water,

r

Cobar Werris Creek reservoirs in the

Ca

Wilcannia Nyngan
providing nests for birds, food for fish, and refuge for frogs.
s tl

ea
Warren southern part
er

gh
Riv er
Coolah of the Basin. Its
agar R
iver tadpoles are very
Broken Hill Talbr
Dubbo large, growing to 10
Tottenham Bog Dunedoo
an
Riv
centimetres. Along with

NEW S OUTH WAL ES

Menindee
Lakes
er
Wellington frogs throughout the
Menindee Tullamore world, there has been
Mudgee
IE
Lake Burrendong Lake Windamere
a recent decline in the
SOUTH An
abr
anc
h
Ivanhoe
Rylstone population of this species.
lin
g iver Condobolin
AUSTRALIA ar Willandra Creek
Lac
hla
nR
tD

Lake Cargelligo Parkes

ea

Lake Cargelligo Forbes Orange Portland

Gr

Pooncarie
Cullen Bullen
Lake Brewster
ve
r Hillston Ungarie Bathurst
g Ri Sydney
Burra rlin
Lake Cowal Carcoar Lake Oberon
Da Cowra
Grenfell
Booligal Goolgowi
Morgan Murray
ver West Wyalong
Bl

Ri Lake Victoria Lake Wyangala

an

Wentworth
dC

Mildura
re

Griffith
ek

Barmera Renmark Murrumb

Blanchetown idg ee River Hanwood Young
Loxton Robinvale Crookwell
Swan Reach Leeton Boorowa
Hay
River Cootamundra
Adelaide Mannum Hattah Hattah Lakes
M urra
y Balranald Narrandera
Yass
Murray Bridge Moulamein Wagga Wagga
Niem Gundagai Lake Dead Horse Creek near Kosciuszko: the Australian Alps
Karoonda Ouyen Tooleybuc
ur R
ive Lockhart Lake George are one of many distinct bioregions within the Basin.
Lake Pinnaroo r Edw Burrinjuck
Alexandrina a Billabong Creek Tumut
Wa
rd R
ive Canberra
Clayton Tailem Bend Murrayville Swan Hill ko o r
Tumu

Blowering
l R iv e r Jerilderie
Goolwa Deniliquin Henty Reservoir AUSTRALI AN
Finley Corroboree Frog
t Riv

Murray Mouth Meningie Hopetoun Barham Tuppa

l Creek CAP I TAL
Tumbarumba
Pseudophryne corroboree
er

Lake Albert
Th
eC
Lake Albacutya
Sea Lake Tocumwal
Talbingo
Reservoir
TERRI TO RY
oo
ro Kerang
ng Lake Mulwala River Murray Cabramurra This tiny, spectacular frog is one
Lake Hindmarsh Broken
Kow Swamp
Goulbu
rn R
Cre
ek Corowa Lake Hume Khancoban
Adaminaby of Australia’s most endangered
Echuca ive
Albury–
r
species. It is found in sphagnum
Lo d do

Lake Buloke
Nhill Cooma
Donald Wangaratta Ov Wodonga Mi
tta
Shepparton en M moss bogs in a small region of
r

i s itta
nR
ve

oc Riv
Av

Rive
er

Bro er
Kie

aR
nR

r r
the Australian Alps.
iv e

ken
Riv

Horsham iv e Lake Mokoan

so

Avon R
wa

iver r Riv
Benalla
ard

aspe

Bendigo Waranga Basin er Lake Dartmouth

Riv
Rich

Wandiligong
er
Camp

Wimme Cairn Lake Nillahcootie

ra R Curran Lake
ive
r Reservoir Eppalock Seymour
Maryborough Goulburn Omeo
Riv Mansfield
Halls Gap Tullaroop er Lake Eildon
Reservoir

Platypus
VICTORIA Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Melbourne Commonly lives in the rivers, streams
and lakes of eastern Australia and is
The Coorong, a protected area
most active at dawn and dusk. Males
of wetlands where the Murray have poisonous spurs on the inside of
River meets the sea, features a each ankle of the hind feet.
unique diversity of habitats for
plants and animals.

Australian Pelican Gippsland Water Dragon

Pelicanus conspicillatus
Physignathus lesuerii howittii Pilliga Mouse
One of Australia’s best-known and easily Pseudomys pilligaensis
Confined to eastern Victoria and
recognised birds. Grows to a length of
far south-eastern New South Wales. An elusive native mouse first
188cm and has a wing-span of 250cm.
The Barmah–Millewa Forest includes 66,000 ha of Male adults become brightly identified in 1975 in the Pilliga
They are found in all parts of Australia. internationally significant wetlands. It is a hotspot of native coloured during the summer forests of northern New South Wales. The Murray–Darling Basin
plants, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. breeding season. supports a unique Australian
habitat, critical to more than
Golden Perch Swamp Yabby Squirrel Glider 120 waterbird species, 46 native
Macquaria ambigua Cherax destructor Petaurus norfolcensis fish species, and 16 internationally-
recognised and protected wetlands.
Known as Yellowbelly in New In 1991, a number Membranes extending
South Wales and Queensland of unusual yabbies from the fifth finger to
and Callop in South Australia, with broad spanner- the ankle enable this
the Golden Perch is the most like claws were caught marsupial to glide from
popular native angling fish in in the Barmah–Millewa tree to tree. Squirrel
the Murray–Darling Basin. It is forests near Echuca. Gliders are mainly
a highly migratory fish whose Genetic testing found in the forests on
movement has been restricted revealed them to the inland slopes of the
by weirs and other barriers. be a new species. Great Dividing Range.