The Woady Yaloak River is a perennial river of the Corangamite catchment, located in the Western District Lakes region of the Australian state of Victoria.

Location and features

The Woady Yaloak River rises below Black Hill, west of Ballarat and flows generally south joined by three minor tributaries through the towns of, and before reaching its river mouth and emptying into Lake Martin and then Lake Corangamite. From its highest point, the river descends 280 m over its meandering 104 km course. The river is crossed by the Glenelg Highway west of Scarsdale and the Hamilton Highway at Cressy, and McMillans Bridge on the Rokewood-Skipton Road between Rokewood and Werneth.

Etymology

In the Aboriginal Australian Wathawurrung language different sections of the river are given two names, Wurdi-yaluk or sometimes Wurdi-yaluk gundidj, meaning "big creek"; and Currarerer, with no defined meaning. Variations on the spelling of the river's name have included Wandinyallock, Wardiyallock and Worriyallock.