River Torrens like: Sheoak ("Casuarina stricta"), native cherry ("Exocarpos cupressiformis"), native pine ("Callitris preissii") and Australia's floral emblem the golden wattle ("Acacia pycnantha") From its source the river flows westwards through Birdwood and Gumeracha. It then continues down through Torrens Gorge entering suburban Adelaide at Athelstone with some of its path paralleled by the O-Bahn Busway. It passes between the city-centre and North Adelaide, forming the Torrens Lake between the Adelaide Zoo and a weir opposite Adelaide Gaol. The river then continues the remaining eight kilometres to the sea at Henley Beach South, emptying into Gulf St Vincent via a constructed outlet.
Lake Torrens lake when filled with water and encompasses an area of . The Lake Torrens catchment is an endorheic basin, having no outflow of water to the ocean. Approximately 35,000 years ago, the lake water was fresh to brackish, but has become increasingly saline since. The traditional owners of the area are the Arabunna peoples to the north, the Kokatha to the west and the Kyuni to the east. The first European to see the lake was Edward Eyre in 1839 who spotted the salt bed from Mount Arden at the head of the Spencer Gulf. Eyre named the lake after