The Burnett River is a river in central Queensland, Australia that empties into the Pacific Ocean near the city of Bundaberg. The Burnett River region is largely given over to growing sugar cane and small crops.
The Burnett River, together with the nearby Mary River, is home to the Queensland lungfish, one of the most ancient of the extant vertebrate species.
Construction of the Paradise Dam on the Burnett River, 80 kilometres upstream from Bundaberg, was completed in November 2005. The dam has a capacity of 300,000 megalitres. The dam is named after the old gold mining township of Paradise, which is now submerged under the waters of the reservoir. All of the structures and artefacts found at the site have been transferred to the nearby town of Biggenden. The design of the dam complies with strict environmental guidelines and includes a 'fishway' that allows fish such as the Queensland lungfish to travel upstream as well as downstream from the dam wall.
The river rises close to Mount Gaeta, east of Monto, flowing in a general southerly direction past Eidsvold and Mundubbera. Downstream of Mundubbera, the river swings east, going through the townships of Gayndah and Wallaville before entering the city of Bundaberg. The river flows into the ocean at Burnett Heads, roughly 20 km from Bundaberg.
The river is named after James Charles Burnett, the explorer who discovered it in 1847.
Read more about Burnett River: Tributaries, 2010–2011 Queensland Floods
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