Ovens River is in northeastern Victoria, Australia. It rises on the northern slopes of Mount Hotham in the Australian Alps. After flowing in a general northwesterly direction, the Ovens joins the Murray River between Corowa and Yarrawonga. The city of Wangaratta is the main center of the Ovens Valley. Farmers in the valley raise sheep and cattle. Crops include hops, oats, corn, potatoes, fodder crops, and fruits. In 1824, the British explorer William Hovell named the river in honor of John Ovens, Governor Thomas Brisbane’s private secretary.
