BURDEKIN RIVER

coastal river of eastern Queensland, Australia. It rises on the western slopes of the Seaview Range, 45 miles (72 km) from the Pacific, and flows 440 miles (710 km) southeast and north through the Leichhardt Range to enter the ocean at Upstart Bay. Its chief tributaries are the Suttor, Star, and Bowen. The river drains an area of 50,400 square miles (130,500 square km). A 3,619-foot (1,103-metre) high-level bridge spans its mouth to link Ayr and Home Hill. The upper course of the Burdekin flows through Charters Towers and a region devoted mostly to cattle raising. Sugarcane is the principal crop along its lower course. The river was explored in 1845 by Friedrich Ludwig Leichhardt and was named for the wife of Thomas Burdekin, who helped finance his expedition.