Yass Cohen Creek[1]
A railway bridge over the Yass River.
Location of the Yass River mouth in New South Wales
Etymology	An Aborigine's comments to Hamilton Hume: "Yass boss, plains"; Comments to Hume: "Yas, yas, plenty of clear country here"; Aboriginal (Gundungura): Yarrh or Yharr, a name for the river [2]
Location
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
Region	South Eastern Highlands (IBRA), Riverina, Southern Tablelands, South Western Slopes
LGAs	Queanbeyan–Palerang, Yass Valley
City	Yass
Physical characteristics
Source	Great Dividing Range
• location	near Wamboin
• elevation	758 m (2,487 ft)
Mouth	confluence with the Murrumbidgee River
• location	Lake Burrinjuck
• coordinates	34°52′36″S 148°46′55″E / 34.87667°S 148.78194°E / -34.87667; 148.78194
• elevation	345 m (1,132 ft)
Length	139 km (86 mi)
Basin features
River system	Murrumbidgee catchment, Murray-Darling basin
Tributaries
• left	Back Creek (New South Wales), Murrumbateman Creek
• right	Cohen Creek, Black Joes Creek, Bungendore Creek, Brooks Creek, Derringullen Creek
[1][3]

The Yass River, a perennial river^[1] that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Southern Tablelands and South Western Slopes districts of New South Wales, Australia.

Course and features

The river rises in rugged country south west of Bungendore, near Wamboin and flows generally north north west then south west, joined by seven minor tributaries, towards its confluence with the Murrumbidgee River into the impounded waters of Lake Burrinjuck, west of Yass; dropping 413 metres (1,355 ft) over its 139-kilometre (86 mi) course.^[3]

Etymology

A number of competing theories exist as to the origin of the name "Yass". It is believed to be named after an Aborigine commented to explorer, Hamilton Hume, that "Yass boss, plains". An alternative theory is that Yass was named after comments made by Mr Angel, a member of Hume's exploration party, that "Yas, yas, plenty of clear country here". A third theory is that the local Aboriginal Gandangara people used the words Yarrh or Yharr as the name for the river,^[2] literally translated to mean "running water".^[4]