Leigh River (Victoria)
The Leigh River, known to the Wathaurong people as Waywatcurtan, is in Victoria’s Central Highlands, Australia. It is a major tributary of the Barwon River and part of the Corangamite catchment.
The river begins when the Yarrowee River, which starts near Ballarat, meets near Cambrian Hill in Golden Plains Shire. The Leigh then starts below Mount Mercer and generally flows south for about 61 kilometers, dropping from about 325 meters to around 60 meters above sea level before it joins the Barwon River near Inverleigh.
Along its route it is joined by three small creeks: Wilson Creek, Williamson Creek, and Cargerie Creek. There are several road, rail, and pedestrian crossings over the Leigh River, and some shallow spots can be crossed when the water is low.
The Leigh River’s name is believed to come from surveyor J. H. Wedge, who arrived in 1835, likely naming it after his Tasmanian farm Leighlands.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:28 (CET).