The Macalister River rises below
Mount Howitt, part of the
Great Dividing Range in the southern portion of the
Alpine National Park; and flows generally south by east in a highly meandering
course. The river is joined by fifteen
tributaries including the
Caledonia,
Wellington, and
Barkly rivers, impounded by the Glenmaggie Dam that creates
Lake Glenmaggie, before reaching its
confluence with the
Thomson River, south of . The river descends over its course. The fertile flats and valley floor of the Macalister River support agriculture around the town of
Licola. ==Etymology==