Rufus River, a watercourse of the Murray catchment and part of the Murray–Darling basin, is located in south western New South Wales, Australia. The river leaves Lake Victoria, flowing generally west and then south-west, before reaching its confluence with the Murray River, at Lock 7, near Rufus. Rufus River was visited by European explorer, Charles Sturt, in 1830, and named after his red-haired (or rufus) travelling companion, George Macleay. A number of conflicts between European and Aboriginal people in 1841 led to the Rufus River massacre.