The Snowy River is a major river in south-eastern Australia. It starts on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mountain. It gets its water from the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, and then flows through the Snowy River National Park in Victoria and finally into Bass Strait. Up until the middle of the 20th century, the river was known for the large amount of fresh water it carried, its wide reach and large rapids. 