Apsley River (New South Wales)

Apsley River, a perennial stream of the Macleay River catchment, is located in the Northern Tablelands district of New South Wales, Australia.

Apsley River rises in high country of the Tia Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) west of the locality of Tia and approximately 29 kilometres (18 mi) south of Walcha. The river flows generally north through the town of Walcha and on to make a dramatic spilling over the Apsley Falls, descending approximately 27 metres (89 ft)[2] into the Apsley Gorge, towards its confluence with the Macleay River, approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) southwest of the locality of Lower Creek. The Apsley River is joined by seven tributaries, including the Tia River and Yarrowitch River, as it makes its course, descending 1,070 metres (3,510 ft) over 168 kilometres (104 mi).[1]

Together with the Macleay River, the Apsley River has developed deeply incised river valleys into Ordovician meta-sedimentary rocks including greywacke, slate, phyllite, schist, chert and argillites. This has produced a number of spectacular gorges and waterfalls on or near the Apsley River in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

The Apsley Macleay Gorges are a converging point for moister eastern coastal and dry western floras, and some 950 native plant species have been identified, of which 36 are rare or threatened. The gorge wattle is a rare species that mainly grows in the Apsley-Macleay gorges. Epiphytic orchids may also be observed growing in trees.[3]

The entire length of the Apsley River is within the boundaries of Walcha Shire and Vernon County.

Dingos, brumbies, carpet pythons, goannas and feral pigs inhabit parts of the warmer, lower reaches of the Apsley River