Rivers of Tasmania

This page discusses the rivers and hydrography of the state of Tasmania, Australia.

In the geography of Tasmania, the state is covered with a network of rivers and lake systems. As an island, all rivers eventually empty into the waters that surround Tasmania. There are four main river systems:

1. In the south, the Derwent flows from the Central Highlands past Hobart, to the sea at Storm Bay;
2. In the west, the Gordon River takes the waters of Lake Gordon and Lake Pedder and is joined by the Franklin River before flowing into Macquarie Harbour;
3. Flowing eastwards and to the south, the Huon River has its headwaters at Scotts Peak Dam on Lake Pedder, and reaches the sea in D'Entrecasteaux Channel; and
4. Flowing from the north-east, the South Esk, the state's longest river, joins the North Esk at Launceston to create the Tamar.

Compared to the rest of Australia, Tasmania has a very high proportion of wild or undisturbed rivers.