Ashburton River Western Australia

The Ashburton River is situated in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It originates approximately 100 kilometres south of Newman and flows west-northwest for about 680 kilometres before emptying into the Indian Ocean near Onslow. The river basin spans 66,850 square kilometres and includes towns like Paraburdoo and Tom Price. The North West Coastal Highway crosses it at Nanutarra.

The Ashburton River has several tributaries, including larger ones such as the Beasley, Henry, Hardey, and Ethel rivers, along with smaller streams like Duck Creek, Turee Creek, Tunnel Creek, and others.

Historically, the river was first named Willem's River in 1618 by the crew of the Dutch ship Mauritius during their voyage. It appears on a 1627 chart by Hessel Gerritsz as one of the earliest named features along Western Australia's coastline. The chart accurately depicts the river’s position and shape, aligning it with the Ashburton River's location at 21 degrees 40 minutes south latitude.

The river supports diverse wildlife, including fish like barramundi and mangrove jack, occasional saltwater crocodiles, and various bird species such as black swans, striated herons, Australian bustards, and bush stone-curlews. The mouth of the river near Onslow originally served as a port before being relocated to Beadon Point 15 kilometres north.