The Aboriginal people referred to the lower part of the river as
Garban. White settlers named it
River Moore in May 1836 by Corporal Patrick Heffron of the
63rd Regiment of Foot, after his expedition leader
George Fletcher Moore,
Advocate-General. The exploratory party comprised Moore, Heffron and an Aboriginal man named Weenat. Heffron was notable for his participation in the
Pinjarra Massacre in 1834. The river is prone to periodic flooding unusually following
cyclones and tropical depressions crossing the coast further north. In 1907, the railway lines between
Watheroo and
Moora were closed for some time when parts of the track were washed away. More floods occurred in 1917 when of rain fell in three hours at Mogumber with similar falls in surrounding areas. Moora was once again left underwater and rail services in surrounding areas were suspended. Low-lying areas in other towns such as
Arrino,
Three Springs, and
Coorow were also submerged. In 1932, the river flooded once again following heavy rains in the Midland districts. Railway lines were undermined to a depth of leaving Moora isolated from
Perth by both road and rail. The township of Moora was left underwater and portions of the town had to be evacuated. Crops and some stock were lost as a result of the floodwaters. Opened in 1918, near the head of the river, was the now defunct and discredited government-managed-settlement and internment camp known as the
Moore River Native Settlement. ==See also==