Photos

It was Mother's Day in Australia last Sunday. In Adelaide there was a marathon event held along the banks of the Torrens River which meanders through this fine city.

The River Torrens is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains and was one of the reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows 85 kilometres (53 mi) from its source in the Adelaide Hills near Mount Pleasant, across the Adelaide Plains, past the central business district.

The upper stretches of the river and reservoirs in its watershed supply a significant part of the city's water supply. The river's long linear parks and a constructed lake in the lower stretch are iconic of the city.

At its 1836 discovery an inland bend was chosen as the site of Adelaide and North Adelaide. The river is named after Colonel Robert Torrens, a significant figure in the city's founding. The river and its tributaries are highly variable in flow, and together drain an area of 508 km². They range from sometimes raging torrents, damaging bridges and flooding city areas, to trickles or completely dry in summer.

Winter and spring flooding has prompted the construction of flood reduction works. A constructed sea outlet, landscaped linear parks and three holding reservoirs contain peak flow.