Darling River is the second longest river in Australia. It has a length of 960 miles (1,545 kilometers). Only the Murray River is longer. The Darling River lies within the Australian state of New South Wales. It rises (begins) at a junction of the Barwon and Culgoa rivers, just west of the town of Bourke. From there, the Darling flows southwest across the state. Near the town of Wentworth, it flows into the Murray River, which empties into the Indian Ocean. In winter, the Darling is dry along most of its course. But in summer, it is an important source of water for the Murray. In addition to the Barwon and Culgoa, the Darling’s other major tributaries include the Balonne and Condamine rivers.
The Darling River lies within the traditional lands of the Barkandji Aboriginal peoples. The Barkandji name for the river is Barka (also spelled Baaka). The British explorer Charles Sturt encountered part of the river in 1829. He named it after Sir Ralph Darling, who was then the governor of the British colony of New South Wales. During the 1800’s, the Darling served as an important waterway for barges and steamboats. Today, the river is important chiefly as a source of water for crops and livestock.
