| Calvert | |
| Name Etymology: | John Calvert |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map: | Australia Northern Territory |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Calvert River mouth in the Northern Territory |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Australia |
| Subdivision Type2: | Territory |
| Subdivision Name2: | Northern Territory |
| Length: | 222km (138miles) |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 31.7m3/s |
| Source1 Location: | Australia |
| Source1 Elevation: | 273m (896feet) |
| Mouth Location: | Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia |
| Mouth Coordinates: | -16.2983°N 137.7325°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 0m (00feet) |
| Basin Size: | 10333km2 |
| Extra: | [1] |
The Calvert River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The headwaters rise on a plain between the Calvert Hills and China Wall and flow northward through mostly uninhabited lands and pastoral leases such as Calvert Hills Station before finally discharging into the Gulf of Carpentaria 150km (90miles) east of Borroloola, not far from the border with Queensland in the Gulf Coastal bioregion. It has a mean annual outflow of 1000GL,[2] Before reaching the sea it flows through the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Pungalina-Seven Emu Sanctuary.
Fourteen tributaries feed the river including; Bloodwood Creek, Tobacco Creek, Goanna Creek, Pungalina Creek and the Little Calvert River.
The river’s catchment area is 10033km2, wedged between the watersheds for the Robinson River to the west, Settlement Creek to east and the Nicholson River to the south.[3] It contains no major towns and the population was 103 in 2001, 45% of whom are Aboriginal people. The river is not dammed, nor used for irrigation. The main economic activity is cattle grazing.[4] [2]
A total of 34 species of fish are found in the river including; the Glassfish, Barred Grunter, Sonub nosed Garfish, Milkfish, Fly-specked Hardyhead, Treadfin Silver Biddy, Flathead Goby, Spangled Perch, Barramundi, Oxeye Herring, Rainbowfish, Black-banded Rainbowfish, Northern Trout Gudgeon, Bony Bream, Catfish, Spotted Scat, Hyrtl's Tandan, Freshwater Longtom, Seven-spot Archerfish and the Giant Gudgeon.[5] The endangered Gulf snapping turtle has been found in the upper reaches of the river.[6]
The traditional owners of the area are the Garawa peoples.[7]
The river was named by Ludwig Leichhardt when on expedition from Queensland to Darwin in 1845. He named the river for another member of his party, John Calvert, in acknowledgement of his good service to the expedition.[8]