| Robinson | |
| Name Etymology: | Joseph Phelps Robinson |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map: | Australia Northern Territory |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Robinson River mouth in the Northern Territory |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Australia |
| Subdivision Type2: | Territory |
| Subdivision Name2: | Northern Territory |
| Length: | 215km (134miles) |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 31.7m3/s |
| Source1 Location: | Barkly Tableland, Australia |
| Source1 Elevation: | 343m (1,125feet) |
| Mouth Location: | Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia |
| Mouth Coordinates: | -16.0486°N 137.2447°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 0m (00feet) |
| Basin Size: | 11369km2 |
| Extra: | [1] |
The Robinson River is a river in Australia's Northern Territory.
The headwaters of the river rise on the Barkly Tableland and flow in a northerly direction across mostly uninhabited plains, crossing Highway 1 then past the Seven Emu homestead before eventually discharging into the Gulf of Carpentaria approximately 60km (40miles) east of Borroloola.
The estuary at the river mouth occupies an area of 10.15km2 and is in near pristine condition. It is river dominated in nature with a wave dominated delta and has an area of 142ha covered with mangroves.[2]
The drainage basin occupies an area of 11369km2 and is wedged between the catchment areas for McArthur River to the west and Calvert River to the east and the Barkly to the south.[3] The river has a mean annual outflow of 1000GL.[4]
Stands of Cycas angulata are found along the lower reaches of the river.[5]
A total of 33 species of fish are found in the river including: sailfin glassfish, barred grunter, snub-nosed garfish, fly-specked hardyhead, mouth almighty, golden flathead goby, spangled perch, barramundi, mangrove jack, chequered rainbowfish, giant gudgeon, spotted scat, freshwater longtom, and seven-spot archerfish.[6]
The critically endangered largetooth sawfish has been caught in the river mouth.[7] The endangered gulf snapping turtle has been found in the upper reaches of the Robinson.[8]
The traditional owners of the area are the Garawa[9] and the Gunindiri peoples.[10]
The river was named by Ludwig Leichhardt during his expedition from Queensland to Port Essington in 1845. Leichhardt named the river after one of the supporters of the expedition, Joseph Phelps Robinson, a well known philanthropist, banker and Quaker.[11]
In 1992 the Robinson River pastoral lease and surrounding areas were handed back to the Garawa people who had started working on the land claim in 1980.[12]