[3] It was named for Mary Bowes, Dowager Countess of Strathmore, the wife of Sir William Hutt.

Sir William Hutt was a member of the 1836 select committee on Disposal of Lands in the British Colonies.

The river then continues in a westerly direction before discharging into the Indian Ocean south of Horrocks.

The river drains into a small deadwater with a depth of less than 3 metres (10 ft), which is only open to the ocean for a few days a year, generally following rains between June and August.

Contamination of Nokanena Brook from the nearby Uga mine group and Northampton State Battery tailings dam, 1.2 kilometres (1 mi) west of Northampton, has led to elevated lead and cadmium levels in stream water.