a river in eastern Australia. The Fitzroy is formed by the confluence of the Mackenzie and Dawson rivers. It originates in the Great Dividing Range and empties into the Coral Sea of the Pacific Ocean, creating an estuary. It is more than 450 km long; measured from the source of the Dawson, it measures 960 km in length. The Fitzroy drains an area of 143,000 sq km and has a mean flow rate of 182 cu m per sec. High water occurs from January to March, during the monsoon season; low water occurs from August to December, when the river sometimes dries up. The Fitzroy is navigable as far as the city of Rockhampton.
a river in northwestern Australia. The Fitzroy rises on the southern slopes of the Kimberley massif and empties into the Indian Ocean’s King Sound, forming an estuary. It is 520 km long and drains an area of 86,500 sq km. The mean flow rate is 195 cu m per sec. High water occurs from January to March. The river is subject to tidal bores, which measure as high as 1 m. It is navigable for a distance of 130 km from the mouth.