Locating the Mouth of a River in Australian Law

The identification of the mouth of a river at law is a more difficult prospect

than may first appear. Geography and the action of tides can make the

location of a river mouth a difficult prospect. The law has had to face

the question of identifying the mouth of a river over the centuries and a

volume of statute and common law has built up, presenting a range of

solutions. This article considers the historic approaches taken in statute

and common law, with a view to distilling the key elements necessary to

locate the mouth of a river.