Bennett Brook is a stream that runs from Whiteman Park to the Swan River in Western Australia.

Bennett Brook
Bennett Brook viewed from a footbridge in Caversham in August 2021
Location
Country	Australia
State	Western Australia
Physical characteristics
Source	Gnangara Mound, Stormwater from surrounding urban area
• location	Whiteman Park
• coordinates	31.818°S 115.919°E / -31.818; 115.919
Mouth	Swan River
• location	Border of Eden Hill and Caversham
• coordinates	31.894°S 115.960°E / -31.894; 115.960
Length	13 kilometres (8.1 mi)
Basin size	217 square kilometres (84 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	5.1 gigalitres

Overview

Bennett Brook's catchment area covers 217 square kilometres (84 sq mi). Approximately half of the catchment area is covered by Whiteman Park and the Gnangara Pine Plantation. The rest of the catchment is urbanised, covering the suburbs of Ballajura, Beechboro, Bennett Springs, Kiara, Lockridge, Malaga, Morley and Noranda. The tributaries to the west are highly modified and partially underground. The tributaries to the north are mostly natural.[1][2]

Upstream areas only flow between August and November. Groundwater pumping from the Gnangara Mound has made the flow lower than the natural flow. Downstream areas flow year round. Urbanisation has made the flow downstream higher than the natural flow, due to higher surface runoff from roads and houses.[1][2]

Crossing

In the late 1930s the local authority, the Swan Road Board considered a bridge to cross the brook.[3] In the 1980s, the status of the area relative to Indigenous concerns and environmental concerns made bridge making and other activity more restricted.[4]

Fauna

Animals found in and around Bennett Brook include:

• Chelodina oblonga – southwestern snake-necked turtle[5]
• Westralunio carteri – species of freshwater mussel[5]
• Isoodon obesulus – quenda or southern brown bandicoot[5]
• Trichosurus vulpecula – brush-tailed possum[5]
• Hydromys chrysogaster – water rat[5]

Name

Bennett Brook is named after Matilda Bennett, the wife of John Septimus Roe.[6]

See also

• Bennett Brook Railway
• List of watercourses in Western Australia

References