The King River, a perennial river of the North-East Murray catchment of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the Alpine and Hume regions of Victoria, Australia. It flows from the northwestern slopes of the Alpine National Park in the Australian Alps, through the King Valley, and joining with the Ovens River at the rural city of Wangaratta.

Location and features

The King River rises below Mount Buggery, within Mansfield Shire, at an elevation exceeding 1460 m above sea level. The river flows generally north by northwest, most of its course through remote parts of the Alpine and Mount Buffalo national parks, and then descending into the King Valley, joined by eight minor tributaries, before reaching its confluence with the Ovens River at Wangaratta. The river descends 1320 m over its 126 km course. The river is impounded by the William Hovell Dam to form Lake William Hovell, that provides water for approximately 24 km2 for irrigated crops, vineyards and grazing properties along the King River from Cheshunt to Wangaratta. A small 1.6 MW hydro-electric generator is driven by the river's outflow from the dam, with an average annual output of 3.7 GWh.

Etymology

The river was given its English name by Hamilton Hume and William Hovell, explorers of the region, in honour of Captain Philip Gidley King, the third Governor of New South Wales, in office from 1800 to 1806. In the Aboriginal Waywurru language, the river is named Poodumbeyer, with no defined meaning.

Recreation

Kayaking enthusiasts access the river for the many level 2 and level 3 rapids. In 2008 the site for the Victorian and Australian Downriver Championships.