Hawkesbury River
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The Hawkesbury River is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.
The headwaters of the Hawkesbury, the Avon River, the Cataract River, and the Cordeaux River, rise only a few miles from the sea, about 80 kilometers south of Sydney. These streams start on the inland-facing slopes of the plateau which forms the escarpment behind Wollongong. Flowing north-west, away from the sea, these streams combine to form the Nepean River. Flowing north past the towns of Camden and Penrith, the Nepean forms the western boundary of the Sydney region.
Near Penrith, the Warragamba River emerges from its canyon through the Blue Mountains and joins the Nepean. The Warragamba, formed by the joining of the Wollondilly River, the Nattai River, the Kowmung River and Cox's River drains a broad region of New South Wales on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range.
North of Penrith, the Nepean is joined by the Grose River and its name changes to Hawkesbury. It passes the towns of Richmond and Windsor, and winds eastwards through majestic scenery to reach the ocean at Broken Bay. The Colo River and the Macdonald River are major tributaries of the Hawkesbury.
The upper reaches of various tributaries of the Hawkesbury are the main water supply areas for Sydney.
The Hawkesbury River was named by Governor Phillip in June 1789, after Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool, who at that time was titled Baron Hawkesbury.