King River (Ovens River)
| King River | ||
 King River from Power Lookout from |
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| Data | ||
| location | Victoria , Australia | |
| River system | Murray River | |
| Drain over | Ovens River → Murray River → Indian Ocean | |
| source | Mount Buggery in the Alpine National Park 37 ° 7 ′ 25 ″ S , 146 ° 35 ′ 5 ″ E |
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| Source height | 1460 m | |
| muzzle |
Ovens River Coordinates: 36 ° 21 ′ 16 " S , 146 ° 19 ′ 48" E 36 ° 21 ′ 16 " S , 146 ° 19 ′ 48" E |
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| Mouth height | 142 m | |
| Height difference | 1318 m | |
| Bottom slope | 7.6 ‰ | |
| length | 174 km | |
| Left tributaries | Fork Creek, Tomahawk Creek, Evans Creek, Boggy Creek | |
| Right tributaries | Stony Creek, Black Range Creek, Meadow Creek, Hurdle Creek | |
| Reservoirs flowed through | Lake William Howell | |
| Big cities | Wangaratta | |
| Small towns | Cheshunt, Whitfield, King Valley, Edi, Moyhu, Docker | |
The King River is a river in the northeast of the Australian state of Victoria .
course
It is a tributary of the Ovens River , rises on the western slopes of the Australian Alps and flows into the Ovens River at Wangaratta . The valley of the King River has a mild climate that allows viticulture .
History of the King Valley
The valley of the King River can be described as "Little Italy" in the hills of northeast Victoria, south of the city of Wangaratta. Its history includes that of the bush thieves as well as that of the Chinese and Italian immigrants.
The Chinese came to search for gold in the mid-19th century as part of the Victorian gold rush and brought their tradition as allotment gardeners, tobacco growers and merchants with them. Today the streets in the valley bear the names of well-known Chinese families, such as Mahlook , Honey or Fosang .
The Italian immigrants came in the 1940s and 1950s and initially followed the Chinese in growing tobacco. But they soon realized that the area had considerable potential for growing European grape varieties. In the last few years in particular, the King Valley has gained an excellent reputation as a wine region, e. B. for grape varieties such as Sangiovese , Nebbiolo or Barbera . Names like Pizzini , Dal Zatto , Corsini , Sartori , Ciccone and Poltini can now be found in the area. The growing area is considered the highest vineyard in Australia.
Whitfield and Moyhu are the largest settlements in the valley and are on the road from Wangaratta to Mansfield .
Sports
The King River is popular with kayakers: its rapids are rated Grade 2 and Grade 3. In 2008 the Victorian Downriver Championship and the Australian Downriver Championship were held here.
