Country Australia Length 39 km Source Skilly Hills | Basin size 280 km (110 sq mi) Basin area 280 km² | |
Main source Skilly Hills, Clare Valley,
South Australia
396 m (1,299 ft) River mouth Confluence with Broughton River | ||
The Hutt River, in the Clare Valley of South Australia, is a stream rising near Sevenhill and flowing in a generally northern direction past the town of Clare and through good farming and pastoral country into the southern side of the Broughton River.
It is one of several Mid North streams discovered in early April 1839 by explorer John Hill. Hill named the river after Sir William Hutt, who was one of the South Australian Colonization Commissioners in London. Sir William's brother John Hutt was originally recommended to become the first Governor of South Australia, but he turned it down in favour of John Hindmarsh. John Hutt later became Governor of Western Australia from 1839 until 1846.
Hill traced the Hutt downstream to just below the present town of Clare. In late May 1839, based upon information supplied by Hill, the explorer Edward John Eyre followed in Hill's footsteps, tracing it downstream to its junction with the Broughton River.
The Hutt River catchment has five catchment sub-regions; Hutt River, Stanley Flat, Armagh Creek, White Hutt Creek, and Bungaree. Armagh Creek is the most significant tributary.
The twin of the Hutt River, running parallel to it but separated by a low range, is the Hill River.
The name given to the Hutt River by the Aboriginal people of the area was Parriworta.