The Colo River, a perennial stream that is part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, is located in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia.

Course

The Colo River rises on the Great Dividing Range, northeast of Newnes, formed by the confluence of the Wolgan River and the Capertee River, which respectively drain the Wolgan and Capertee Valleys north of Lithgow. Colo River flows eastwards and then south through a deep gorge in the northern section of the Blue Mountains. The majority of the river lies in Wollemi National Park. The middle Colo is inaccessible, rugged and remote. The wilderness was saved from development, logging and damming in the late 1970s by the Colo Committee and other environmentalists. Emerging from the wilderness region, the lower part of the Colo River flows through a scenic, narrow agricultural valley and reaches the Hawkesbury River at Lower Portland north of Windsor. Tributaries of the Colo include the Capertee River, Wolgan River, Wollangambe River and Wollemi Creek. The river descends over its course.

thumb|750px|center|The Colo River under low-water conditions at [[Upper Colo, New South Wales|Upper Colo.]]

History

The traditional custodians of the land surrounding the Colo River are the Australian Aboriginal peoples of the Dharug and Darkinjung nations.

The area of the lower Colo River was first explored by Europeans in June 1789 by Governor Phillip. Settlement commenced there from the early 1800s via land grants. However, the first recorded European exploration of the forty kilometres of rugged gorge further upstream did not occur until 1831-33, when surveyor Frederick D'Arcy was tasked with mapping the area. In the 1880s it was proposed to build a railway line up the river, and its tributary the Capertee River, as an alternative to the established line over the Blue Mountains. A survey track was built all the way up the river, but the plan was abandoned.

Recreation

Bushwalking, canoeing, packrafting, fishing, and accommodation retreats are all popular recreation activities along various parts of the Colo River.

See also

  • List of rivers of Australia
  • List of rivers of New South Wales (A–K)
  • Rivers of New South Wales

References

  • Colo River Subcatchment at the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Authority website
  • Colo River Subcatchment
  • https://sites.google.com/view/friendsofthecolo/home Friends of the Colo

Further reading