O'Shannassy River


The O'Shannassy River is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment, located in the north-eastern Greater Metropolitan Melbourne region of the Australian state of Victoria.

Location and features

The O'Shannassy River rises within the Yarra Ranges National Park on the slopes of the Yarra Ranges, within the Great Dividing Range, below Mount Observation, approximately east of Melbourne. The river flows generally south by southwest, joined by two minor tributaries, before being impounded to create the O'Shannassy Reservoir, part of Melbourne's water supply system. Below the reservoir the natural flow of the river is diverted via the O’Shannassy Aqueduct and then reaches its confluence with the Yarra River west of the locality of. The river descends approximately over its course, before being diverted via the aqueduct.
The O’Shannassy River catchment is identified as an Essentially Natural Catchment by the Land Conservation Council.

Etymology

The river is named after John O'Shanassy, the second Premier of Victoria.