Markham River
The Markham River is a river in eastern Papua New Guinea. It originates in the Finisterre Range and flows for to empty into the Huon Gulf at Lae.
Course
The Markham is a major river in eastern Papua New Guinea. Its headwaters originate in the Finisterre Range. From their confluence, it flows swiftly southeast through steep mountains and empties into Huon Bay. Its wide but shallow bed forms a series of braided channels through a large central depression, the Markham Valley. Its sparsely populated flat valley includes considerable agricultural land downstream. Its lower 70 km are navigable. Its largest tributary is the Watut River, which originates in the Bulolo Valley.The river was named in 1873 by Captain John Moresby, R.N., in honour of Sir Clements Markham, then Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. A single-lane steel bridge, 1690 feet long – by far the longest bridge built in Papua until that time – was opened in January 1955.