RAINFALL AND DISCHARGE OF THE MURRAY RIVER. XLVII, 
source in connection with investigations which have 
extended over a number of years. 
The Basin of the Murray River.—Tihe gathering grounds, 
(Plate 21) of this network of rivers, embrace an area 
of no less than 414,253 square miles, and probably no 
other portion of Australia presents a more interesting 
field for hydrographical research than the Murray Basin, 
wherein so many of the more remarkable and characteristic 
physical features of the continent are represented. It 
embraces the highest mountains and largest rivers in 
Australia. The Great Dividing Range, which forms its 
eastern and southern boundaries, commences in the Cape 
York Peninsula in Northern Queensland, and terminates 
close to the eastern border of South Australia, traversing 
New South Wales at a varying distance of from 30 to 130 
miles from the coast. The Range attains its highest 
elevation near the southern boundary of the State where 
Mount Kosciusko reaches an altitude of 7,256 feet. The 
crest of this Dividing Range is narrow along the greater 
portion of its course, being only a few yards wide in places; 
but in some of the northern and southern portions, notably 
in the New England and Monaro Districts, it spreads out 
into extensive tablelands. There are numerous lateral 
ranges branching off from it, but none of these are of any 
considerable length, excepting one which leaves the main 
range and extends at right angles to it in a north-westerly 
direction, and forms the watershed between the tributaries 
of the Darling and Lachlan Rivers. On the north side of 
the range, running westward from the Dividing Range, lies 
the basin of the Darling with its numerous tributaries 
flowing from the range to the main river, and on the south 
is the basin of the Murray River. The low-lying portions 
of these basins consist of alluvial flats formed from the 
sediment brought down by flooded rivers, chiefly from the 
high slopes of the Dividing Range. 
