| Mount Emu (Tarnpirr) | |
| Pushpin Map: | Australia Victoria |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Mount Emu Creek mouth in Victoria |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Australia |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Victoria |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Victorian Midlands, Naracoorte Coastal Plain (IBRA), Western District |
| Subdivision Type4: | Local government areas |
| Subdivision Name4: | Pyrenees, Ararat, Moyne |
| Subdivision Type5: | Towns |
| Subdivision Name5: | ,,,, |
| Length: | 250km (160miles) |
| Source1 Location: | north of |
| Source1 Coordinates: | -37.3408°N 143.53°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 405m (1,329feet) |
| Mouth: | confluence with Hopkins River |
| Mouth Location: | near Cudgee, northeast of Warrnambool |
| Mouth Coordinates: | -38.3267°N 142.6394°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 28m (92feet) |
| River System: | Glenelg Hopkins catchment |
| Tributaries Left: | Spring Hill Creek, Baillie Creek, Blind Creek, Elingamite Creek |
| Tributaries Right: | Trawalla Creek, Broken Creek (Victoria) |
| Custom Label: | Lake |
| Extra: | [1] |
The Mount Emu Creek (Aboriginal Australian:Tarnpirr[2]), a perennial creek of the Glenelg Hopkins catchment, is located in the Western District of Victoria, Australia.
The Mount Emu Creek is a 250km (160miles) long and small meandering waterway. It is the longest creek in Victoria. The creek rises near and flows generally south by southwest, joined by six tributaries, before reaching its confluence with the Hopkins River, northeast of Warrnambool. The river descends over its 271km (168miles) course.[1] Mount Emu Creek is the major waterway within the Hopkins basin. The main drainage area is from numerous small tributaries and gullies to the east and west of the waterway, including Darlington Creek.[3] The main tributary of Mount Emu Creek is Trawalla Creek, that drains the area of highest rainfall within the sub-catchment. Mount Emu Creek has a length of approximately through this sub-catchment, and passes through the township of .
The waterway starts as a series of creeks and waterways that merge to form the Mount Emu Creek, which flows through areas around,, Darlington, and . It joins the Hopkins River, which eventually leads out to sea at Warrnambool.
The Baillie Creek drains Lake Burrumbeet and flows into the Mount Emu Creek west of . The Elingamite Creek drains Lake Elingamite and flows into the Mount Emu Creek south of Terang.
The creek is traversed by the Western Highway near Trawalla, the Glenelg Highway at Skipton, the Hamilton Highway at, and the Princes Highway near Terang.
The Mount Emu system is a very popular fishing stream with residents and visitors along its course, where trophy sized trout can be pursued. The creek is regularly stocked with brown trout from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (with the assistance of the Terang Angling Club). There is also a small population of native brown trout. Trophy size trout are there to be taken but most fish average around 1000g. Some of the more popular spots to be fished are McKinnons bridge, Castlecary Road bridge, Ayresford Road and Panmure bridge. Other fish to be caught include redfin, eels, tench, tupong and black fish.[4] In several locations between Pura Pura and Darlington, yellowbelly are known to be caught on worm (no float).
Mount Emu Creek abounds in redfin and is the home of many platypuses.[5] Surveys in 1991 and 1996 confirmed that platypus are breeding successfully right in the heart of Skipton township, where on a bend in the creek at Stewart Park in the centre of town is a platform built on the banks of the creek from which to observe them.[6] An all night research session along the Mount Emu Creek was conducted by the Australian Platypus Conservancy in August 2003,[7] in collaboration with Skipton's Stewart Park Committee. A baby female was one of six platypuses found in the 5km (03miles) section of the creek. Weighing in at 680g, the tiny juvenile had probably only first ventured out of her burrow a week or so previously. Geoff Williams, a biologist with the Conservancy, said that the youngster was in really good condition and her presence confirmed that successful breeding is taking place in the township.[8]
The Murdering Gully massacre occurred in a gully on Mount Emu Creek, where a small stream adjoins from Mérida station (near Camperdown) in early 1839. Between 35 and 40 men, women and children of the Tarnbeere gundidj clan were shot dead by Frederick Taylor and other shepherds for the killing of several sheep.[9]