Wonnangatta
Location of the Wonnangatta River mouth in Victoria
Native name	Wontwun,[1][2] WonnangaUa[3] (Kurnai)
Location
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
Region	Australian Alps (IBRA), South East Corner (IBRA), Victorian Alps, East Gippsland
LGAs	Mansfield, Wellington, East Gippsland
Physical characteristics
Source	Mount Despair, Great Dividing Range
• location	east of Mansfield
• coordinates	37°8′14″S 146°45′48″E / 37.13722°S 146.76333°E / -37.13722; 146.76333
• elevation	1,220 m (4,000 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Wentworth River and Swamp Creek to form the Mitchell River
• location	Horseshoe Bend, north of Mitchell River National Park
• coordinates	37°34′41″S 147°22′8″E / 37.57806°S 147.36889°E / -37.57806; 147.36889
• elevation	137 m (449 ft)
Length	151 km (94 mi)
Basin features
River system	Mitchell River catchment
Tributaries
• left	Humffray River, Black Snake Creek, Wongungarra River, Dargo River
• right	Dry River, Conglomerate Creek, Moroka River, Scrubby Creek, Wombat Creek, Castleburn Creek, Bulgaback Creek
National park	Alpine NP
[4][5]

The Wonnangatta River is a perennial river of the Mitchell River catchment, located in the Alpine and East Gippsland regions of the Australian state of Victoria.

Features and location

The Wonnangatta River rises below Mount Despair, part of the Great Dividing Range, east of Mansfield in a remote state forestry protected area, called the Wonnangatta River Reference Area. The river flows generally south by east, in a highly meandering course, joined by eleven tributaries including the Dry, Humffray, Moroka, Wongungarra and Dargo rivers, before reaching its confluence with the Wentworth River and Swamp Creek to form the Mitchell River north of the Mitchell River National Park, in the Shire of East Gippsland. The river descends 1,110 metres (3,640 ft) over its 151-kilometre (94 mi) course.^[5]

At the locality of Riverford, the Dargo Road traverses the river.^[5]

Etymology

In the Aboriginal Braiakaulung dialect of the Gunai language, there are two variant names for the Wonnangatta River; Wontwun;^[1][2] and WonnangaUa.^[3] Their meanings are not clearly defined.